Consequences of progestational hypoxia in pregnant rats and its peptide correction (EEG data).

We studied immediate and delayed changes in ECG in female albino rats subjected to acute hypobaric hypoxia on days 4-5 of pregnancy and evaluated the possibility of correction of hypoxia-produced disturbances with some peptides. Acute hypoxia lengthened the mean RR interval, increased heart rate variability, and decreased the monotony index. Hypoxia induced considerable changes in the structure of ECG that reflected the development of arrhythmias and conduction disturbances. These changes in ECG persisted during the posthypoxic period. Intranasal administration of heptapeptides Semax and beta-casomorphin-7 to pregnant females promoted recovery from acute hypoxia and normalized ECG in the posthypoxic period.