[Effect of tetrandrine on lung development: experiment of nitrofen-induced congenital diaphragmatic hernia fetal rat model].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of prenatal administration of tetrandrine (TET) on pulmonary hypoplasia in the nitrofen-induced congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) fetal rat model.


METHODS
Six timed-pregnant female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: CDH group (receiving gavage of nitrofen 125 mg dissolved in seed fat on day 9.5), and TET group (receiving gavage of nitrofen 125 mg on day 9.5 and then gavage of TET 30 mg/kg on days 11.5 - 14.5), and control group (given the same dose of peanut oil on day 9.5 and the same dose of normal saline on days 11.5 - 14.5). The fetuses were delivered by cesarean section on day 21 to undergo light microscopy and electron microscopy. The numbers of type II pneumocytes were recorded and compared.


RESULTS
CDH were detected in 32 of the 41 fetuses from the CDH and TET groups with a teratogenic rate of 78%, however, without a significant difference between the CDH and TET groups (P = 0.645). Microscopy showed significant lung hypoplasia in both histologic structure and cellular structure in the CDH group; however the lung development of the TET group was improved in comparison to the CDH group. There was no significant difference in numbers of type II pneumocytes among the 3 groups (P = 0.779).


CONCLUSIONS
Prenatal administration of TET can improve the lung development of CDH rats in both histological structure and cellular structure. This may provide a new idea for the clinical treatment of CDH.
Xu
Chang
C
Department of Pediatric Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Cheng
Zhong-Xian
ZX
Liu
Wen-Ying
WY
Wang
Yuan-Xiang
YX
Xiong
Zhong-Xun
ZX
D000470:Alkaloids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006548:Hernia, Diaphragmatic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D065630:Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010647:Phenyl Ethers; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000470:Alkaloids; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010647:Phenyl Ethers; C009438:tetrandrine; C007350:nitrofen