Effects of Antenatal Hypoxia on the Parameters of Tissue Homeostasis in the Liver of Albino Rats

We studied age-dependent dynamics of some liver parameters in albino rats after antenatal hypoxia. A decrease in body weight, absolute liver weight in newborn and mature rats, and a reduction of relative weight of the liver in mature animals were observed under these conditions. It was found that antenatal hypoxia promotes a decrease in DNA-synthetic activity of hepatocytes, intensifies free radical processes in the liver of newborn rats, and reduces the number of nucleoli in hepatocytes. In mature animals, antenatal hypoxia was followed by a decrease in hepatocyte sizes and area of nucleoli, an increase in the number of binuclear cells relative to mononuclear cells, and a decrease in the number of nucleoli in hepatocyte nuclei. These data can reflect impairment of tissue homeostasis in the liver of mammals exposed to antenatal hypoxia.