Activation of NF-κB transcription factor in the preterm ovine brain and placenta after acute LPS exposure

Abstract

Intrauterine infection may be causally related to inflammation and injury of the fetal brain, however the mechanisms by which this occurs are unclear. We have investigated whether nuclear factor (NF)-κB, a transcription factor for proinflammatory cytokines, is activated in the fetal brain after acute LPS-exposure. At 95 days of gestation (term = ∼147 days), 5 fetuses received a single intravenous bolus dose of LPS (1 μg/kg); 6 fetuses served as controls. Fetal blood samples were taken hourly for 6 hr post LPS-exposure to assess physiological status. Ewes and fetuses were then euthanased, placental and brain tissue examined histologically, and NF-κB activation assessed in several regions of t..