Expression of heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70, 70 KDa, A), 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE, 54 kDa, B), and nitrotyrosine (NT, 35 kDa, C) in the cortex.

<p>Representative Western blots are shown from the control (Ctrl, n = 6), dexamethasone (DEX, n = 6), dexamethasone with vitamins C and E (DEX CE, n = 6), and control with vitamins C and E (CtrlCE, n = 6) groups. Expression of the proteins was quantified and expressed as a ratio to β-actin. *, P<0.05 <i>versus</i> Ctrl; #, P<0.05 <i>versus</i> DEX; ∼, P<0.05 <i>versus</i> CtrlCE (One-Way ANOVA+Student-Newman-Keuls).</p

Maximal (peak) growth velocity of infant weight and size and age at achievement.

<p>Maximal (peak) growth velocity of infant weight and size and age at achievement.</p

Neonatal corticosteroid therapy affects growth patterns in early infancy

<div><p>Objective</p><p>Although postnatal corticosteroid (CS) therapy has well established beneficial effects on pulmonary function, it may also result in growth restriction during treatment. The course of early childhood growth is believed to predict cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in adulthood. Therefore, we determined the effects of postnatal dexamethasone (DEX) or hydrocortisone (HC) treatment on patterns of postnatal growth until approximately four years of age.</p><p>Study design</p><p>In an observational cohort study of children born prematurely (<32 weeks of gestation), we compared growth patterns for body weight, height, and head circumference from birth to age four years, of children who received DEX (boys: N = 30, girls: N = 14), HC (boys: N = 33, girls: N = 28) to a reference group that had not received postnatal CSs (boys: N = 52, girls: N = 53) using linear mixed-effects modeling.</p><p>Results</p><p>Growth velocity curves of CS-treated neonates showed a shift to the right, representing a delay in time. They had decreased absolute growth velocities during and shortly after treatment, followed by an increase in growth velocity thereafter. A shift to the right was also seen for the age at which maximal growth velocity of weight/height was reached in boys and girls. Fractional growth rates of weight, height, and head circumference were generally reduced in the CS-treated groups during the first two months of age, with catch-up growth in the following months. In DEX-treated infants these changes were more pronounced than in HC-treated infants.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>These data suggest that postnatal growth patterns of preterm born infants are affected by CS-treatment, more by DEX than by HC. Effects were observed mainly on growth velocities. This observation may have impact on health in later life for those individuals treated with CSs in the neonatal period. A definitive conclusion would require a randomized trial of these therapies.</p></div

Distribution of measurements and course of body weight SD-scores in individual male children in each study group from birth to 48 months of age.

<p>Distribution of measurements and course of body weight SD-scores in individual male children in each study group from birth to 48 months of age.</p

Neuronal numbers in the cortex and hippocampus.

<p>Neuronal numbers and reference volumes in the control (Ctrl, n = 5), dexamethasone (DEX, n = 5), dexamethasone with vitamins C and E (DEXCE, n = 5) and control with vitamins C and E (CtrlCE, n = 5) pups. The reference volumes are the volumes of the cortex and compartments of the hippocampal formation (CA1, CA2/3 and dentate gyrus) that neuronal number and soma volumes were measured in.</p

Neonatal corticosteroid therapy affects growth patterns in early infancy - Fig 2

<p>Growth in weight of males (a) and females (b), in height of males (c) and females (d) and in head circumference of males (e) and females (f), ages 0 to 4 in DEX (blue line), HC (red line) and untreated (black line) infants using SD-scores.</p

Growth velocity for weight separate for boys in DEX (blue line), HC (red line) and untreated infants (black line).

<p>Note that age is on a logarithmic scale and reflects the midpoint of successive measurements, centered at one month of age.</p

Soma volumes in the CA1 (A), CA2/3 (B), and dentate gyrus (C) of the hippocampus.

<p>Soma volumes in the hippocampus are shown from the control (Ctrl, n = 5), dexamethasone (DEX, n = 5), dexamethasone with vitamins C and E (DEXCE, n = 5), and control with vitamins C and E (CtrlCE, n = 5) groups. *, P<0.05 <i>versus Ctrl</i>; #, P<0.05 <i>versus</i> DEX (One-Way ANOVA+Student-Newman-Keuls).</p

Cerebrum brain volume.

<p>Brain volume of the cerebrum at postnatal day 22 in control (Ctrl, n = 5), dexamethasone (DEX, n = 5), dexamethasone with vitamins C and E (DEXCE, n = 5), and control with vitamins C and E (CtrlCE, n = 5) pups. *, P<0.05 <i>versus</i> Ctrl (One-Way ANOVA+Student-Newman-Keuls).</p

Photomicrograph of coronal brain section.

<p>Cresyl violet-stained sections showing the regions used for determining neuronal number and soma volumes. These parameters were measured in the following fields: cortex (Cx), CA1, CA2/3 and dentate gyrus (DG). Scale bar = 2.5 mm.</p