Morphological evaluation of the cerebral blood vessels in the late gestation fetal sheep following hypoxia in utero

Hypoxia can significantly contribute to the development of permanent brain injury in the term neonate; however the response of cerebral blood vessels is not well understood. This study aimed to quantitatively measure vascular density and morphology using laminin immunohistochemistry as a marker of blood vessels, and determine the effects of a single, severe bout of hypoxia (umbilical cord occlusion, UCO) late in gestation on the developing cerebrovasculature in fetal sheep. At 124–126 days gestation singleton fetal sheep underwent surgery for implantation of catheters and placement of an inflatable cuff around the umbilical cord. A 10 min UCO or sham UCO (n = 5) occurred at 132 days gestation. Fetal brains were collected at 24 h (n = 5) or 48 h (n = 4) after UCO for vascular density and morphology analysis of laminin immunohistochemistry. 48 h following a single, brief bout of severe hypoxia late in gestation decreased vascular density was seen in the caudate nucleus and no changes in vascular morphology occurred. However closer analysis revealed a significant shift in the frequency of smaller (≤ 10 μm) to larger (≤ 100 μm) perimeter blood vessels in periventricular and subcortical white matter. Close examination of the frequency distribution of vascular perimeter highlights that alterations in vascular morphology persist in the near term fetal brain for up to 48 h following a brief (10 min) hypoxia in white but not gray matter. These findings suggest that the near term brain may still be vulnerable to white matter injury following in utero hypoxia.

► Laminin immunohistochemsitry was used on fetal sheep brains. ► Vascular density and morphology were analyzed following near term in utero hypoxia. ► Shift in frequency of larger perimeter (> 50–100 μm) blood vessels in white matter ► Close examination of vascular morphology revealed effects of hypoxia. ► Hypoxia late in gestation results in persistent (48 h) alterations of vascular size.