Surfactant improves lung function and morphology in newborn rabbits with meconium aspiration.
Nearly mature newborn rabbits (gestational age 29.5 days) were tracheotomized at birth and received, via the tracheal cannula, 6 ml/kg body weight of a filtered saline suspension of human meconium, 65 or 130 mg/ml. Animals were kept in body plethysmographs and ventilated for 60 min with standardized tidal volume (8-10 ml/kg). Aspiration of meconium caused, in both groups, a statistically significant reduction in lung-thorax compliance, elevated PCO2 in heart blood and reduced alveolar volume density (VV) in histological sections. Both groups responded to treatment with exogenous surfactant (Curosurf, 200 mg/kg) with a moderate, statistically significant improvement in lung-thorax compliance, PCO2 and alveolar VV. Our data indicate that respiratory failure after neonatal meconium aspiration may be influenced favorably by treatment with exogenous surfactant.
Sun
B
B
Research Unit for Experimental Perinatal Pathology, St. Göran's Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Curstedt
T
T
Song
G W
GW
Robertson
B
B
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008170:Lung Compliance / Q000187:drug effects; D008471:Meconium Aspiration Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010313:Partial Pressure; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013552:Swine
D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D002245:Carbon Dioxide