title: Biochemical maturation of the guinea pig lung and survival following premature delivery.
abstract: 1. Viable preterm guinea pigs were delivered by Caesarean section from 62 day gestation (term = 68 days). 2. Survival rates (24 hr) were greater than 90%, greater than 55% and greater than 35% respectively at 65, 63 and 62 days gestation. Guinea pig pups experienced increasing respiratory difficulty with progressive prematurity. 3. Lung phosphatidylcholine concentration increased steadily from 0.52 +/- 0.09 mumol/mg DNA at day 50 to 3.9 +/- 0.5 mumol/mg DNA at term. The relative contribution of the disaturated dipalmitoyl species increased over this time from 24.5 to 42.9%. 4. Pulmonary antioxidant capacity increased markedly over the final eight days of gestation, individual increases being manganese superoxide dismutase 68%, copper/zinc superoxide dismutase 48%, glutathione peroxide 37% and catalase 198%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Nutrition, University of Southampton, England.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Rickett
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Town
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Holgate
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Postle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase