title: The effects of chloroquine on pulmonary saccular growth near term.
abstract: The Antimalaria drug, chloroquine is an amphiphilic cationic compound and might therefore be suspected to interfere with foetal lung maturity as previously observed with other amphilphilic cationic drugs. Single doses of chloroquine phosphate (40mg/kg b. wt) was administered to pregnant rats on days 20 and 21 of gestation (term = 22 days). Morphometric analysis revealed a decrease in volume density (Vv) of parenchyma, saccular space and average saccular volume. Concurrent administration of single doses hydrocortisone on day 21 increased the Vv of the Parenchyma saccules and average saccular volume. This result suggests that the retardation of foetal lung maturity induced by chloroquine could be reversed by a concurrent administration of hydrocortisone. Questions concerning the mechanism by which these effects are produced must remain open.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Okanlawon
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Ejiwunmi
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Dada
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Ashiru
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity / Q000187:drug effects*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D002738:Chloroquine; D006854:Hydrocortisone