Intrauterine treated lambs as a model for the study of Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) and consequent metabolic disorders

Abstract

Developmental exposure to environmental and therapeutic chemicals, including excess androgens, has been reported to induce Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) and abnormal post-natal growth. It has now been clearly shown that IUGR and subsequent catch-up growth can result in a life-long vulnerability to diseases/syndromes that affect both the quality and duration of life. Ovine foetuses that are exposed to exogenous steroids exhibit IUGR, abnormal post-natal growth trajectories and altered metabolic and reproductive function and thus provide a model to examine the programming of conditions such as metabolic syndrome that has recently attracted much scientific and societal interest (Eckel et al., 2005). Metabolic syndrome encompasses a group of risk factors that occur together and increase the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke and diabetes type 2, all of which increase the financial burden on health systems world-wide.