Two models of disturbed pregnancy, both causing decreased fetal body mass, were used: the endotoxin-model (treatment of pregnant rats with heat-denaturated bacterial material) and the stress-model (chronic restraint of prenatally lithium-treated pregnant dams). Fetuses were delivered by Caesarean section in the morning of the 21st gestational day. After disturbed pregnancy lipid peroxidation (iron-stimulated formation of thiobarbituric acid reagible substances) was not changed in 9,000 g supernatant of total brain. The values of all groups were higher after determination in frozen/thawed tissue in comparison to freshly prepared material. The results do not indicate an enhanced vulnerability of brain tissue after both models of disturbed pregnancy.
Animals Animals, Newborn