ECG wave form, short term heart rate variability and plasma catecholamine concentrations in intrauterine growth-retarded guinea-pig fetuses

Electrocardiogram waveform, short term heart rate variability and catecholamine concentrations were studied with maternally-induced anesthesia in eleven growth-retarded guinea-pig fetuses and their normal-sized littermates at 63 days of gestation. Intrauterine growth retardation was induced by unilateral uterine artery ligation performed between day 32 and 35. In the growth-retarded group fetal weight was reduced by 45%. Blood gases, acid-base status and oxygen content were similar in the two groups. The growth-retarded guinea-pig fetuses were hypoglycemic and demonstrated a rise in hemoglobin concentration. The T/QRS ratio (T wave amplitude/QRS amplitude) was similar in both groups. The short-term heart rate variability was significantly reduced in the growth-retarded group. Plasma catecholamine concentrations were increased in growth-retarded fetuses but differed only significantly for noradrenaline compared to controls. We suggest that similar T/QRS ratio in both groups of fetuses indicates that aerobic myocardial metabolism is maintained among growth-retarded fetuses. The mechanism behind the reduced variability is unclear.