Biomaterial Database

Maternal administration of glucocorticoid and thyrotropin-releasing hormone enhances fetal lung maturation in undisturbed preterm lambs. 1994

F A Moraga, and R A Riquelme, and A A López, and F R Moya, and A J Llanos

Departamento de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.

OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that combined treatment with glucocorticoid plus thyrotropin-releasing hormone administered to pregnant ewes with preterm gestation accelerates fetal lung maturation of undisturbed lambs better than single hormonal treatment does. METHODS Twenty-five pregnant ewes at 123 days of gestation were randomized to receive (1) 0.9% sodium chloride (controls), (2) betamethasone (12 mg intramuscularly every 24 hours two times), (3) thyrotropin-releasing hormone (400 micrograms intravenously every 8 hours six times), or (4) thyrotropin-releasing hormone plus betamethasone. After delivery by cesarean section at 125 days fetal lamb lung compliance and alveolar lavage phospholipid content were determined. RESULTS Betamethasone plus thyrotropin-releasing hormone significantly increased fetal lung compliance expressed as milliliters of air per gram of wet weight at 40 cm H2O and 5 cm H2O (0.82 +/- 0.13 and 0.35 +/- 0.10 ml/gm wet lung, respectively) versus betamethasone (0.37 +/- 0.02 and 0.07 +/- 0.02), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (0.38 +/- 0.02 and 0.14 +/- 0.03), and control (0.25 +/- 0.03 and 0.09 +/- 0.01) groups. Also, total phospholipids and saturated phosphatidylcholine concentrations in alveolar lavage were significantly higher in the combined betamethasone plus thyrotropin-releasing hormone group (27.3 +/- 4.9 and 16.9 +/- 4.3 micrograms/gm wet lung, respectively) versus betamethasone (10.9 +/- 3.5 and 6.7 +/- 2.1), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (15.2 +/- 5.6 and 7.3 +/- 2.0), and control (7.9 +/- 2.4 and 3.6 +/- 1.0) groups. CONCLUSIONS Combined maternal administration of betamethasone plus thyrotropin-releasing hormone improves lung maturation in undisturbed fetal lambs at 125 days' gestation more than does either hormone given alone.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008168	Lung	Either of the pair of organs occupying the cavity of the thorax that effect the aeration of the blood.	Lungs
D008170	Lung Compliance	The capability of the LUNGS to distend under pressure as measured by pulmonary volume change per unit pressure change. While not a complete description of the pressure-volume properties of the lung, it is nevertheless useful in practice as a measure of the comparative stiffness of the lung. (From Best & Taylor's Physiological Basis of Medical Practice, 12th ed, p562)	Compliance, Lung,Compliances, Lung,Lung Compliances
D008297	Male		Males
D010713	Phosphatidylcholines	Derivatives of PHOSPHATIDIC ACIDS in which the phosphoric acid is bound in ester linkage to a CHOLINE moiety.	Choline Phosphoglycerides,Choline Glycerophospholipids,Phosphatidyl Choline,Phosphatidyl Cholines,Phosphatidylcholine,Choline, Phosphatidyl,Cholines, Phosphatidyl,Glycerophospholipids, Choline,Phosphoglycerides, Choline
D010743	Phospholipids	Lipids containing one or more phosphate groups, particularly those derived from either glycerol (phosphoglycerides see GLYCEROPHOSPHOLIPIDS) or sphingosine (SPHINGOLIPIDS). They are polar lipids that are of great importance for the structure and function of cell membranes and are the most abundant of membrane lipids, although not stored in large amounts in the system.	Phosphatides,Phospholipid
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D001992	Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid	Washing liquid obtained from irrigation of the lung, including the BRONCHI and the PULMONARY ALVEOLI. It is generally used to assess biochemical, inflammatory, or infection status of the lung.	Alveolar Lavage Fluid,Bronchial Lavage Fluid,Lung Lavage Fluid,Bronchial Alveolar Lavage Fluid,Lavage Fluid, Bronchial,Lavage Fluid, Lung,Pulmonary Lavage Fluid,Alveolar Lavage Fluids,Bronchial Lavage Fluids,Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluids,Lavage Fluid, Alveolar,Lavage Fluid, Bronchoalveolar,Lavage Fluid, Pulmonary,Lavage Fluids, Alveolar,Lavage Fluids, Bronchial,Lavage Fluids, Bronchoalveolar,Lavage Fluids, Lung,Lavage Fluids, Pulmonary,Lung Lavage Fluids,Pulmonary Lavage Fluids
D004359	Drug Therapy, Combination	Therapy with two or more separate preparations given for a combined effect.	Combination Chemotherapy,Polychemotherapy,Chemotherapy, Combination,Combination Drug Therapy,Drug Polytherapy,Therapy, Combination Drug,Chemotherapies, Combination,Combination Chemotherapies,Combination Drug Therapies,Drug Polytherapies,Drug Therapies, Combination,Polychemotherapies,Polytherapies, Drug,Polytherapy, Drug,Therapies, Combination Drug
D005260	Female		Females
D005325	Fetal Organ Maturity	Functional competence of specific organs or body systems of the FETUS in utero.	Fetal Maturity, Functional,Functional Fetal Maturity,Maturity, Fetal Organ,Maturity, Functional Fetal,Organ Maturity, Fetal