title: Neonatal ACE inhibition in rats interferes with lung development.
abstract: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is developmentally up-regulated and it is essential for kidney development in several species. Given the fact that the rat lung undergoes postnatal development, the mammalian lung possesses the highest angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) levels and ACE activity increases during the first weeks postpartum, we tested the hypothesis that ACE inhibition influences postnatal lung development. Rats were given the ACE inhibitor enalapril (10 mg kg(-1)) from 0 to 9 days of age and their lungs were examined at day 4 and 9. Lung structure was evaluated by means of light microscopy, and surface tension of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was measured by means of a Wilhelmy balance. Neonatal ACE inhibition lowered the surface tension of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and caused widening of respiratory airspaces and thinning of alveolar septa. Our results suggest that early postnatal ACE inhibition in rats interferes with lung development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. daina.lasaitiene@fysiologi.gu.se
authors.forename: Daina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lasaitiene
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nannmark
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wollmer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Friberg
mesh_terms: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D004656:Enalapril / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013500:Surface Tension
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D004656:Enalapril; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A