
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Wood, CE 
A1  - Srun, R 
T1  - Ontogeny of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in ovine fetal kidney and lung
JF  - Reproduction, Fertility and Development
JO  - Reprod. Fertil. Dev.
Y1  - 1995
VL  - 7
IS  - 5
SP  - 1329
EP  - 1332
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/RD9951329 
N2  - Eleven-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta-HSD) is an enzyme which degrades 11-hydroxycorticosteroids to biologically inactive 11-oxocorticosteroids (cortisone and 11-dehydrocorticosterone). In some tissues, the activity of this enzyme prevents binding of cortisol to mineralocorticoid receptors. The present experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that the fetal kidney contains 11 beta-HSD, that the activity of 11 beta-HSD in fetal kidney increases near term, and that the fetal lung does not contain significant 11 beta-HSD activity. In kidney and lung tissue from 23 fetal sheep ranging in age between 86 and 145 days' gestation, we measured 11 beta-HSD activity. We found significant activity in fetal kidney (14-85% conversion from cortisol to cortisone) but no measurable activity in fetal lung (0-9%). The activity of 11 beta-HSD was significantly related to fetal gestational age (r = 0.76, n = 14). We conclude that 11 beta-HSD activity in the fetal kidney develops as a function of fetal gestational age, and that activity cannot be demonstrated in fetal lung. We speculate 11 beta-HSD in the fetus might function to alter the sensitivity of target organs to glucocorticoids, as well as to mineralocorticoids, and that the absence of activity in the lung allows a high sensitivity of pulmonary tissue to cortisol at the end of gestation. 
ER  -

