Table 1.

Dexamethasone treatment increased body weight of SMGRKO fetuses at E17.5 but had no effect on fetal body weight or heart weight at E15.5.

	Vehicle		Dexamethasone
	Control	SMGRKO	Control	SMGRKO
E15.5
Body weight (mg)	420.7 ± 20.1	435.6 ± 18.0	459.0 ± 14.6	428.6 ± 14.9
Heart weight (mg)	12.4 ± 1.0	12.8 ± 0.7	13.7 ± 0.7	14.0 ± 0.9
Heart weight/body weight	0.034 ± 0.003	0.035 ± 0.002	0.036 ± 0.003	0.035 ± 0.003
E17.5
Body weight (mg)	873.9 ± 14.3	850.8 ± 13.4	855.2 ± 22.0	954.5 ± 36.4**,†
Heart weight (mg)	13.1 ± 0.7	13.2 ± 0.7	13.8 ± 0.5	14.3 ± 0.12
Heart weight/body weight	0.015 ± 0.001	0.016 ± 0.001	0.017 ± 0.001	0.018 ± 0.002

Dexamethasone (100 µg/kg/day) or vehicle was administered to pregnant dams in drinking water, from E12.5 to E15.5. Fetuses were collected at E15.5 or E17.5. Fetal body and heart weights are in mg with heart weight also expressed relative to body weight. Data are means ± s.e.m. and were analysed using two-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s test. Body weight: n = 29–52 fetuses from 5 to 12 litters/treatment. Heart weight: n = 11–28 fetuses from 5 to 6 litters/treatment.

**P < 0.01 vs untreated SMGRKO; ^†P < 0.05 vs dexamethasone-treated controls.