Abstract #1234

Measurement of placental oxygenation in a guinea pig model of intrauterine growth restriction

Kevin J Sinclair¹, Lanette J Friesen-Waldner¹, Trevor P Wade², Cheryl Vander Tuin¹, Barbra de Vrijer^3,4, Timothy RH Regnault ^3,4,5, and Charles A McKenzie^1,2,4

¹Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, ²Robarts Research Institute, London, ON, Canada, ³Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, ⁴Division of Maternal, Fetal and Newborn Health, Children's Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada, ⁵Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

We sought to examine the placental oxygenation status in a guinea pig model of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). We measured T2* in placentae of IUGR and control fetuses during a maternal oxygen challenge, where imaging was performed at both 20% and 100% inhaled oxygen. IUGR was defined by an elevated brain to liver volume ratio, indicative of blood flow redistribution secondary to fetal hypoxia. No significant difference in ΔT2* was observed, indicating that the placentae of the IUGR fetuses were not hypoxic. Thus we concluded that placental hypoxia is not necessary to induce fetal hypoxia in the guinea pig.

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