Male gender promotes an increased inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide in umbilical vein blood.

Objectives: To establish gender-specific differences in maternal and fetal immune response in healthy human fetuses at term.

Methods: Forty-five women with elective caesarean sections for uncomplicated singleton pregnancies were recruited for two studies. Using a multiplex biomarker immunoassay system, unstimulated maternal and fetal plasma concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-8, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were measured from one study population.

The effect of intermittent umbilical cord occlusion on elastin composition in the ovine fetus.

This study aimed to determine the effect of varying degrees of intermittent umbilical cord occlusion (UCO) on arterial elastin composition. Over 4 days, chronically catheterized late gestation fetal sheep received 5 total UCO per day lasting 1 min/h (mild group: n = 6), 2 min/h (moderate group: n = 4), 3 min/h (severe group; n = 6); or no occlusion (control group: n = 7). Each group was evaluated for elastin content of the carotid and superior mesenteric artery (SMA), the arterial pressure response to UCO, and plasma cortisol concentration.