Updated project metadata.
Preterm birth is often predisposed by chorioamnionitis (CA) and CA affects the fetal gut and lungs via intra-amniotic (IA) inflammation, thus accentuating the proinflammatory effects of preterm birth. It is not known if IA inflammation also affects other perfusion-sensitive organs (e.g., kidneys) before and after preterm birth. Using preterm pigs as model for preterm infants, we hypothesized that CA induces fetal and neonatal renal dysfunctions that can intially be detected via plasma proteome, partly explaining the frequent renal dysfunction in preterm infants. Fetal pigs (88% gestation) were given an IA dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 mg/kg, n=28), delivered preterm by cesarean section three days later, and compared with controls (CON, n=26) at birth and postnatal day five. Plasma proteome and protein markers of inflammatory pathways were evaluated.