Inhibition of Neurosteroid Synthesis Increases Asphyxia-Induced Brain Injury in the Late Gestation Fetal Sheep

The study investigated the effects of inhibiting neurosteroid synthesis on brain injury in late gestation fetal sheep. Researchers used finasteride to suppress neurosteroid synthesis and examined its impact on brain injury following asphyxia induced by umbilical cord occlusion. The study found that finasteride treatment reduced allopregnanolone (AP) levels and increased apoptosis in the hippocampus, cerebellum, and subcallosal bundle. After umbilical cord occlusion, finasteride-treated fetuses showed a significantly higher increase in apoptotic cells in the hippocampal CA3 region compared to vehicle-treated fetuses. This suggested that 5α-reduced steroids like AP might protect against cell death following acute fetal asphyxia, and altering fetal neurosteroid levels could negatively impact brain development and increase vulnerability to injury.