Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by KIMMEL, C. A.
Right arrow Articles by NELSON, C. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by KIMMEL, C. A.
Right arrow Articles by NELSON, C. J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1984 Oxford University Press

research-article

Blood Flow Changes and Conceptal Development in Pregnant Rats in Response to Caffeine

C. A. KIMMEL, G. L. KIMMEL, C. G. WHITE, T. F. GRAFTON, J. F. YOUNG and C. J. NELSON

Divisions of Teratogenesis Research and Biometry, National Center for Toxicological Research, Food and Drug Administration DHHS, Jefferson, Arkansas 72079

Blood Flow Changes and Conceptal Development in Pregnant Rats in Response to Caffeine. KIMMEL, C. A., KIMMEL, G. L., WHITE, C. G., GRAFTON, T. F., YOUNG, J. F., AND NELSON, C. J. (1984). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 4, 240–247. Alterations in blood flow to the uterus and its contents during pregnancy have been suggested to account for the teratogenicity and/or embryotoxicity of several agents, including caffeine. Using a radioactive microsphere technique, blood flow to several maternal organs, including ovary, uterus, decidua, and chorioallantoic placenta (CAP), was measured following a single dose of 0 or 120 mg/kg caffeine by gavage to pregnant CD rats on Day 12 of gestation. At 1 or 4 hr after treatment, animals were anesthetized and strontium 85-labeled microspheres (25-µm diam) were infused into the left ventricle. Whole body and tissue radioactivity were determined. Maternal cardiac output (CO) and absolute flow (f1; ml/min), relative flow (f2; ml/min/g tissue), and flow as %CO (f3) to each tissue were calculated. Maternal CO was not altered. All blood flow parameters for ovaries, uterus, and bladder were reduced in treated animals at both time points except for absolute flow (f1) to the ovaries at 1 hr. Decidual changes included reduced weight at 1 hr, reduced f2 at 4 hr, and reduced f1 and f3 at both times. However, CAP weight and blood flow were not significantly altered by caffeine treatment. Examination of conceptuses from these litters, and from other animals at 24 hr after treatment or at term did not reveal any significant effect of this dose of caffeine on viability, growth, or physical development. The ratio of embryo to maternal blood caffeine concentrations was approximately 1, indicating free transfer of caffeine to the embryo. Thus, a single dose of caffeine significantly reduced blood flow to the ovary, total uterus, and decidua, while conceptal development appeared normal.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.