title: Functional assessment of hyperoxia-induced lung injury after preterm birth in the rabbit.
abstract: The objective of this study was to document early neonatal (7 days) pulmonary outcome in the rabbit model for preterm birth and hyperoxia-induced lung injury. Preterm pups were delivered at 28 days (term = 31 days; early saccular phase of lung development) by cesarean section, housed in an incubator, and gavage fed for 7 days. Pups were divided into the following groups: 1) normoxia (21% O2; normoxia group) and 2) and hyperoxia (>95% O2; hyperoxia group). Controls were pups born at term who were housed in normoxic conditions (control group). Outcome measures were survival, pulmonary function tests using the whole body plethysmograph and forced oscillation technique, and lung morphometry. There was a significant difference in survival of preterm pups whether they were exposed to normoxia (83.3%) or hyperoxia (55.9%). Hyperoxic exposure was associated with increased tissue damping and elasticity and decreased static compliance compared with normoxic controls (P < 0.01). Morphometry revealed an increased linear intercept and increased mean wall transection length, which translates to larger alveoli with septal thickening in hyperoxia compared with normoxia (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the current experimental hyperoxic conditions to which preterm pups are exposed induce the typical clinical features of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. This model will be used to study novel preventive or therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Academic Dept. of Development and Regeneration, Organ System Cluster, Univ. Hospitals of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. Jan.Deprest@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Jute
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: Jaan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toelen
authors.forename: Jeroen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vanoirbeek
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kakigano
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dekoninck
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verbeken
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deprest
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D018496:Hyperoxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000503:physiopathology; D011817:Rabbits; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
keywords: bronchopulmonary dysplasia