Figure 1

(A) Effects of cocoa on DA internal diameter and DA wall thickness. Cocoa (720 mg/Kg, p.o. n = 33) and indomethacin (10 mg/Kg p.o. n = 7) caused fetal DAC, but cocoa (720 mg/Kg, p.o.) alone increase ductus wall thickness. Lower doses of cocoa had no effect over the DA (7.2 mg/Kg n = 4 and 72 mg/Kg n = 4). *p < 0.001 compared with vehicle group (ANOVA). Data are mean ± standard deviation for n = 7–33 in each group. (B) Effects of cocoa on pulmonary artery internal diameter and ratio of the DA internal diameter and fetal pulmonary artery internal diameter. Vehicle (n = 25), cocoa (7.2 mg/Kg p.o. n = 4. 72 mg/Kg p.o. n = 4 and 720 mg/Kg, p.o. n = 33) and indomethacin (10 mg/Kg p.o. n = 7) showed no difference in pulmonary artery diameter (B1), but cocoa (720 mg/Kg, p.o. n = 33) and indomethacin (10 mg/Kg i.p. n = 7) decreased DA/PA ratio (B2). *p < 0.001 compared with vehicle group (analysis was made by one-way ANOVA, the differences between groups confirmed by Tukey´s Multiple Comparison test). Data are mean ± standard deviation for n = 7–33 in each group. (C) Representative fetal tissue histology of sagittal cross sections of the main pulmonary artery, ductus and descending aorta. These three cross sections of the heart were recorded at the same magnification (× 10 objective lens). The fetus ductus arteriosus was well patent in the control heart (C1). Twelve hours after the administration of cocoa 720 mg/Kg through gastric gavage (C2) or 8 h after p.o. administration of indomethacin 10 mg/Kg (C3) the fetus ductus arteriosus was significantly constricted. TP trunk of pulmonary artery;  AD arterial duct.