Perinatal Treatment of Adrenergic Dysregulation to Correct Skeletal Muscle Metabolism in IUGR Infants

Sean Limesand of the University of Arizona in the U.S., along with co-investigators, will test whether infants with intrauterine growth restriction, caused during gestation by oxygen and nutrient deprivation, could benefit from pharmacological intervention using well-characterized adrenergic drugs to improve skeletal muscle metabolism. Intrauterine growth restriction affects around 24% of babies born in developing countries and leads to perinatal morbidity and mortality. The team will perform intervention studies using the adrenergic drugs in a well-defined sheep model of intrauterine growth restriction, and identify related biomarkers using placental tissue from affected human infants. These studies will increase understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying intrauterine growth restriction and could lead to new treatment options.