title: Clinical implication of lung fluid balance in the perinatal period.
abstract: At birth, lung fluid produced during fetal life must be cleared immediately and efficiently before the first breath takes place, in order for infants to achieve a normal and successful transition from prenatal to postnatal life. Postnatal lung fluid resorption is mediated through activation of airway epithelial sodium channels (ENaC). The observation that ENaC expression is a gestational age-dependent process contributes to our understanding of the development of respiratory distress in both term and preterm infants due to impaired clearing of fluid from their lungs. As fluid absorption, mediated by ENaC activity, in postnatal life has a significant biological role in preventing respiratory distress, any strategy that enhances ENaC activity can potentially help to decrease its incidence and associated morbidity.
authors: Pediatric Pulmonary Division, Meyer Children's Hospital of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Katz
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Bentur
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Elias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053503:Epithelial Sodium Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018495:Fluid Shifts / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression; D005865:Gestational Age; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D036801:Parturition / Q000378:metabolism*; D018743:Perinatal Care; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects*; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D053503:Epithelial Sodium Channels; D005938:Glucocorticoids; C507047:Scnn1a protein, mouse; D001623:Betamethasone