title: In-vivo NMR spectroscopy of the fetal lung in guinea-pigs.
abstract: We have been successful in achieving phosphorus NMR in-vivo spectra of the fetal lung in an animal model. We used pregnant guinea-pigs with a gestational age of 45 to 65 days. The spectra were recorded on a Bruker tomograph (BMT 24/30) with a field strength of 2.35 T. The spectra showed a typical pattern. After recording the animals were sacrificed and the lungs were prepared for electron microscopic examinations. In the spectra peaks were found which appeared to be phosphorylcholine and phosphatidylcholine. For one peak it could be observed that the relative signal intensity increased with increasing gestational age as well as with increasing lung maturity. This could not be observed for other peaks. So the lecithin of the surfactant in the tissue of the fetal lung appears to be directly accessible through phosphorus in-vivo NMR spectroscopy. The peaks found appear already before the lamellar bodies are present in the pneumocytes type II.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Perinatal Medicine, Free University of Berlin, West-Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Langner
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Dudenhausen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: E Z
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Saling
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Herbst
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Friedberg
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Höpfel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005333:Fetus / Q000032:analysis / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008168:Lung / Q000032:analysis / Q000196:embryology*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D010758:Phosphorus; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D010758:Phosphorus