Effect of Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester-induced intrauterine growth restriction on postnatal lung growth in rats.
Infants with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are at high risk for morbidity and mortality. Preeclampsia, one of the leading causes of IUGR, begins during the canalicular phase of lung development. The aim of our study was to determine whether induced IUGR was responsible for abnormal lung development in rat pups. We randomized pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats to daily gavage with either the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; n = 5, 50 mg . kg(-1) . d(-1)) or pure water (n = 6). The pups were weighed at birth and on postnatal days 7 and 14. At each of these time points, pups were killed and their lung growth was assessed on the basis of lung volume and light-microscopy morphometric data. At birth, body weight, total alveolar surface area, and alveolar surface density were significantly decreased and alveolar size was significantly increased in the L-NAME group, compared with the control group. On day 7, body weight was similar in the two groups, and the only significant difference was smaller total alveolar surface area in the L-NAME group. On day 14, neither body weight nor lung morphometric parameters were significantly different between the L-NAME group and the controls. These results suggest that postnatal catch-up growth may completely correct the lung development disorders present at birth in IUGR pups, in parallel with the catch-up body weight gain.
Diaz
Véronique
V
Functional Testing, Lung and Exercise Physiology Unit, Poittiers Teaching Hospital, France. v.diaz@chu-poitiers.fr
Lebras-Isabet
Marie-Noelle
MN
Denjean
André
A
D000818:Animals; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000633:toxicity*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester