Table 3. Antenatal glucocorticoid treatment modulates the LPS-induced effects on apoptosis and proliferation in the fetal brain.
| Control | 7d Beta | 7d LPS | Beta-Pre + 7d LPS | 14d LPS | 14d LPS + Beta-Post | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ki67 (cells/mm2) | ||||||
| Hippocampus | 126±8 | 136±11 | 91±8 | 135±21 | 58±6* | 145±7£ |
| PVWM | 71±9 | 71±11 | 54±5 | 55±15 | 66±10 | 70±6 |
| SCWM | 80±7 | 95±11 | 49±6 | 71±10 | 58±7 | 87±5£ |
| Cleaved caspase-3 | ||||||
| Hippocampus (%stained area) | 6.3±0.7 | 7.9±0.6 | 13.2±1.1* | 10.9±1.0* | 12.6±0.9* | 9.8±0.7* £ |
| PVWM (cells/mm2) | 325±30 | 296±31 | 463±34* | 317±35§ | 269±20 | 482±43* £ |
| SCWM (cells/mm2) | 94±13 | 152±12 | 137±17 | 121±13 | 138±13 | 201±21* £ |
Data expressed as mean ± SEM. LPS: lipopolysaccharide; Beta-Pre: betamethasone pre-treatment; Beta-Post: betamethasone post-treatment. * p<0.05 versus controls; § p<0.05 versus 7d LPS; £ p<0.05 versus 14d LPS