Developmental changes in the responses of the adrenal glands of foetal sheep to endogenous adrenocorticotrophin, as indicated by hormone responses to hypoxaemia.

The change in plasma ACTH and corticosteroid concentrations in response to a 60 min period of hypoxaemia were studied in foetal and adult sheep during the latter half of pregnancy. Hypoxaemia consistently caused large rises in the concentration of ACTH in foetal plasma, the magnitude of which did not change with gestational age but was related to the physiological state of the foetus. Before 139 days small and slow rises in corticosteroid (predominantly cortisol) concentration in foetal plasma were observed during hypoxaemia, and these may have been of maternal origin. After 139 days, hypoxaemia caused a rapid and large rise in the concentration of cortisol and corticosterone in foetal plasma, which was largely of foetal origin. Hypoxaemia caused no consistent change in maternal plasma ACTH concentration but was associated with progressive increases in plasma cortisol concentrations. The cortisol: corticosterone ratio in foetal plasma was 1-5 before 139 days and increased to 4-1 several days before term which was lower than the value of 9 in maternal plasma. Small concentrations of 11-deoxycortisol and cortisone were detected in maternal and foetal plasma, the changes of which were small during hypoxaemia. The results indicate that a maturational change in the sensitivity of the foetal adrenal to endogenous ACTH occurs several days before term.