Ultrastructural evaluation of type II pneumocytes in the hypoplastic lung of rabbit fetuses induced by oligohydramnios.
OBJECTIVE
The present study was carried out using electron microscopy to evaluate the expression of lamellar bodies in type II pneumocytes of fetal rabbit lungs with hypoplasia induced by oligohydramnios.


METHODS
Using an amniotic shunting rabbit model, the lungs obtained from 32 fetuses, including 16 experimental fetuses (shunting group) and 16 control fetuses (control group), were used for electron microscopic studies. At least 250 type II pneumocytes per fetus were photographed. The number of lamellar bodies per type II pneumocyte was counted.


RESULTS
The number of lamellar bodies per type II pneumocyte of the shunting group was consistently and significantly less than that of the control group (5.49 +/- 2.07 vs 7.58 +/- 2.08; P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the occurrence of hypoplastic lungs induced by oligohydramnios is associated with an immaturity of the surfactant system, especially the expression of the lamellar bodies of type II pneumocytes.
Asabe
Koushi
K
Division of Pediatric Surgery, Maternity and Perinatal Care Center, Fukuoka University Hospital, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. asabe@fukuoka-u.ac.jp
Oka
Yoichiro
Y
Kai
Hiroki
H
Shirakusa
Takayuki
T
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D016104:Oligohydramnios / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D011817:Rabbits
D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants