title: Airway and vascular maturation stimulated by tracheal occlusion do not correlate in the rabbit model of diaphragmatic hernia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In animal models of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), tracheal occlusion (TO) has induced maturation of both airway spaces and vascular structures. Airway and vascular response to TO are assumed to occur in parallel. This study aims to describe and measure the relationship between airway and vascular maturation induced by TO.
  
  
  METHODS
  A rabbit model of CDH on gestational day (GD) 23 and TO on GD 28 (term = GD 31) has been used. Two study groups have been defined: DH (diaphragmatic hernia) and TO (DH treated with TO). Animals were collected on GD 30 and blood flow data of the pulmonary artery (pulsatility index (PI) and fractional moving blood volume) were ultrasonographically measured. Lung morphometry consisted of measurements of radial alveolar count (RAC) and arterial muscular thickness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Animals in the DH group (n = 9) had the worst hemodynamic parameters; their lungs were hypoplastic and had the thickest arterial muscular layer. Animals in the TO group (n = 10) had all these effects reversed. There were no correlations among hemodynamic, airway, and vascular parameters, except for RAC and PI (r = -0.528, P = 0.043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Airway and vascular maturation after TO appear to be uncorrelated effects. TO could trigger several pathways that separately regulate airway and vascular responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prat Ortells
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Asteria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tarrado
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krauel
authors.affiliation: Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Hospital Clinic-IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Rogelio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Hospital Clinic-IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Óscar
authors.initials: Ó
authors.lastname: Moreno-Álvarez
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fuste
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castañón
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006548:Hernia, Diaphragmatic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011817:Rabbits; D014132:Trachea / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*