Progestogens and Neuroactive Steroids in Hospitalized Newborn Foals

For newborn foals to overcome stressful events, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) must be functional at birth. Maturation of the HPAA in foals occurs in late gestation and early postnatal period. This transition is associated with enzymatic changes in the adrenal cortex to produce pregnenolone that will be converted to progestogens by the placenta. At the end of gestation, the equine fetal adrenal cortex begins expressing 17 α-hydroxylase that is required for the conversion of progesterone to cortisol.
Source: Journal of Equine Veterinary Science - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Source Type: research