# PRENATAL AND NEONATAL PITUITARY/ADRENAL FUNCTION

> **NIH NIH R37** · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY · 1994 · $188,617

## Abstract

The overall goal of this proposed research is to investigate the
development of the brain-pituitary-adrenal axis in the mammalian fetus.
This includes determining:  (1) if the drive to ACTH secretion increases
during gestation and (2) if there is an increase in the ratio of bioactive
to immunoreactive ACTH in fetal plasma close to term which correlates with
the increase in fetal plasma cortisol occurring during this time.  The
chronically cannulated lamb fetus is the animal model chosen for study.  It
is possible to study brain-pituitary-adrenal relationships in this model in
the absence of complications caused by the presence of anesthesia and
surgical trauma, both of which are inherent in experiments on acutely
prepared animals.  The information derived from these proposed studies will
further our understanding of mechanisms regulating basal activity in an
endocrine system necessary for preparing the fetus for birth and in some
species, necessary for the initiation of labor.  Increasing our
understanding of the mechanisms determining the patterns of change in basal
fetal plasma cortisol and ACTH levels during the latter part of gestation
are essential for furthering our knowledge of the development processes
which culminate in the birth of a healthy infant.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2196790
- **Project number:** 5R37HD011210-15
- **Recipient organization:** WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** MBU6HCLNZ431
- **Principal Investigator:** JAMES C. ROSE
- **Activity code:** R37 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1994
- **Award amount:** $188,617
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1978-09-29 → 1994-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2196790

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2196790, PRENATAL AND NEONATAL PITUITARY/ADRENAL FUNCTION (5R37HD011210-15). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2196790. Licensed CC0.

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