Albumin as an adjunct to tracheal occlusion in fetal rats with congenital diaphragmatic hernia: a placebo-controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to investigate effects of intratracheal albumin injection prior to tracheal occlusion (TO) on lung proliferation in fetal rats with nitrofen-induced congenital diaphragmatic hernia.


METHODS
On embryonic day 19, nitrofen-exposed fetuses underwent TO, TO and 50 microL of either intratracheal albumin 20% or saline, or remained untouched. Main outcome at embryonic day 21.5 was expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67. Secondary outcomes were lung-to-bodyweight ratio (LBWR), tropoelastin expression, density and spatial distribution of elastin, pulmonary/alveolar morphometry, and fetal survival.


RESULTS
TO increased Ki-67 messenger RNA and LBWR. Albumin further increased LBWR and density of Ki-67-positive cells but also fetal mortality. TO with or without adjuncts induced elastin deposits at the tips of arising secondary crests, increased air space size, and decreased septal thickness.


CONCLUSIONS
TO had effects on lung proliferation and advanced the morphologic appearance. Addition of albumin increased density of proliferating cells and LBWR, yet at the expense of additional fetal loss.
Klaritsch
Philipp
P
Center for Surgical Technologies, Faculty of Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Mayer
Steffi
S
Sbragia
Lourenço
L
Toelen
Jaan
J
Roubliova
Xenia
X
Lewi
Paul
P
Deprest
Jan A
JA
D000418:Albumins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity / Q000187:drug effects; D006548:Hernia, Diaphragmatic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000601:surgery; D065630:Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014132:Trachea / Q000601:surgery*
D000418:Albumins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen