Postnatal increase in airway surfactant in the premature rabbit exposed in utero to betamethasone.
In utero exposure to betamethasone on days 26 and 27 of gestation resulted in a significant increase in lung lavage phospholipid after 24 h of air breathing in rabbit pups delivered at 29 days of gestation. At 6 h of age, the proportion of type II epithelial cells in betamethasone-exposed newborns was nearly twice the saline-exposed control value. Phospholipid composition and pressure:volume analysis of compliance were both unaffected by betamethasone treatment. The betamethasone-associated increase in airway phospholipid content was observed only in female pups. These data support the conclusion that antenatal betamethasone treatment elicits an increase in airway phospholipid which is dependent on breathing and confined to the female newborn.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism*; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits
D011506:Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D004247:DNA; D001623:Betamethasone