title: Glucocorticoid regulation of surfactant-associated proteins in rabbit fetal lung in vivo.
abstract: The effects of a maternally administered synthetic glucocorticoid, betamethasone, on the levels of mRNA for the surfactant proteins SP-A, SP-B, and SP-C and on the levels of SP-A protein were investigated in day 27 gestational age rabbit fetal lung tissue. Betamethasone administration to the pregnant rabbit caused approximately a twofold increase in the fetal lung level of SP-A protein and a threefold increase in fetal lung SP-A mRNA levels when compared to levels in fetuses obtained from saline-treated or uninjected animals. SP-B mRNA was increased fourfold in fetal lung tissue obtained from glucocorticoid-treated pregnant does when compared to levels in fetuses of uninjected pregnant does. However, SP-B mRNA levels in fetal lung tissue from saline-injected controls were also significantly elevated, approximately twofold, when compared to fetal lung SP-B mRNA levels in the uninjected control condition. SP-C mRNA levels in lung tissue of fetuses from both saline-injected and betamethasone-injected pregnant does were increased similarly, approximately twofold, over SP-C mRNA levels in fetal lung tissue obtained from uninjected control does. These data are suggestive that betamethasone treatment increases fetal lung SP-A and SP-B mRNA levels and that maternal stress alone can increase the expression of SP-B and SP-C mRNA in rabbit fetal lung tissue. Using in situ hybridization, SP-A mRNA was shown to be present primarily in alveolar type II cells in fetuses of control and saline-injected does. However, SP-A mRNA was easily detected in both alveolar type II cells and bronchiolar epithelial cells of rabbit fetal lung tissue following maternal betamethasone treatment. In contrast, SP-B and SP-C mRNA were present only in alveolar type II cells of lung tissue obtained from fetuses of control, saline, or betamethasone-treated does. Thus maternal administration of glucocorticoids increased SP-A protein as well as SP-A and SP-B mRNA levels in rabbit fetal lung tissue. SP-A mRNA was localized to both alveolar type II cells and in smaller amounts in bronchiolar epithelial cells of rabbit fetal lung tissue. However, SP-B and SP-C mRNA were detected only in alveolar type II cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52245.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Durham
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wohlford-Lenane
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Snyder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011510:Proteolipids; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D001623:Betamethasone