Oral docosahexaenoic acid given to pregnant mice increases the amount of surfactant in lung and amniotic fluid in preterm fetuses.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to determine whether docosahexaenoic acid increased surfactant production, as reflected by increased dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, in mouse fetal lung and amniotic fluid.


METHODS
On day 9.5 of gestation, pregnant mice were given docosahexaenoic acid orally at 0, 5, 10, or 20 mg per day and were killed at day 16.5 (preterm) and day 19.5 (term) of gestation. Dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine was measured in fetal lung homogenates and amniotic fluid by high-performance thin-layer chromatography.


RESULTS
Dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine values in lung were 0.22 +/- 0.27 microg/mg of total protein in preterm versus 1.96 +/- 0.57 microg/mg in term control fetuses. Pretreatment with 5, 10, or 20 mg docosahexaenoic acid increased dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine levels in preterm fetuses to 1.20 +/- 0.75, 1.60 +/- 0.67, and 3.28 +/- 0.44 microg/mg of protein, respectively. A similar trend was observed in amniotic fluid in which dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine levels were 1.86 +/- 3.70 microg/mL in preterm fetuses at baseline and increased to 7.81 +/- 1.21, 16.83 +/- 1.62 and 22.72 +/- 3.44 microg/mL after pretreatment for 7 days with 5, 10, and 20 mg docosahexaenoic acid (P<.05 compared to untreated mice). Dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine levels in amniotic fluid were 24.46 +/- 10.3 microg/mL in term control mice.


CONCLUSIONS
The oral administration of docosahexaenoic acid to pregnant mice during pregnancy can induce dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine production and secretion, which is the major lipid component of surfactant.
Blanco
Paola G
PG
Departments of Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
Freedman
Steven D
SD
Lopez
Mari C
MC
Ollero
Mario
M
Comen
Elizabeth
E
Laposata
Michael
M
Alvarez
Juan G
JG
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D023421:Models, Animal; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000032:analysis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids