Agradecimentos: We wish to thank the following individuals for technical help: Bruno Zavan, Maggie Chasmar and Kevin Robb for assistance with animal care. KTK received scholarships from the Canadian Bureau for International Education – Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (CBIE/DFAIT) and Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel –The Ministry of Education of Brazil (CAPES/MEC) and Canada-Brazil Awards – Joint Research Projects (2011-2012) and from FAEPEX (University of Campinas). TC was a recipient of a recipient of a CIHR Doctoral Award-Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship and an Ontario Graduate Scholarship. This research was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; grant number MOP 119496) awarded to CHG. The TEG studies were supported by a grant from the Canadian Haemophilia Society awarded to MO. Ver menos

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) and coagulopathies are often associated with aberrant maternal inflammation. Moderate-intensity exercise during pregnancy has been shown to increase utero-placental blood flow and to enhance fetal nutrition as well as fetal and placental growth. Furthermore, exercise is known to reduce inflammation. To evaluate the effect of moderate-intensity exercise on inflammation associated with the development of maternal coagulopathies and FGR, Wistar rats were subjected to an exercise regime before and during pregnancy. To model inflammation-induced FGR, pregnant rats were administered daily intraperitoneal injections of E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on gestational days (GD) 13.5-16.5 and sacrificed at GD 17.5. Control rats were injected with saline. Maternal hemostasis was assessed by thromboelastography. Moderate-intensity exercise prevented LPS-mediated increases in white blood cell counts measured on GD 17.5 and improved maternal hemostasis profiles. Importantly, our data reveal that exercise prevented LPS-induced FGR. Moderate-intensity exercise initiated before and maintained during pregnancy may decrease the severity of maternal and perinatal complications associated with abnormal maternal inflammation Ver menos