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Effects of Terbutaline on Lung Surfactant Components in Fetal Lung Tissue, Fetal Lung Washing and Amniotic Fluid in Pregnant Rabbit
Author(s) -
Higuchi Motokazu,
Hirano Hideto,
Maki Masahiro
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
asia‐oceania journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1447-0756
pISSN - 0389-2328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0756.1982.tb00591.x
Subject(s) - lamellar granule , lung , amniotic fluid , fetus , terbutaline , pulmonary surfactant , phosphatidylcholine , gestation , phospholipid , andrology , medicine , chemistry , anesthesia , biology , pregnancy , asthma , biochemistry , membrane , genetics
Synopsis Terbutaline (0.1 mg/kg) was given intramuscularly once or 3 times at intervals of 12 hours to pregnant rabbits. Fetuses were delivered at 28 days of gestation by cesarean section 4 hours after the last administration. In the 3‐dose group, there were no changes in concentration of disaturated phosphatidylcholine in fetal lung tissue or of total phospholipid in the lung washing. Nor was there an increased number of lamellar bodies in type‐II pneumocytes, but total phosphatidylcholine levels in amniotic fluid showed a significant increase (2.4 times the control group). In the single‐dose group, levels of both total phospholipids and total phosphatidylcholine increased significantly, while lamellar bodies in type‐II pneumocytes showed a significant decrease. This suggests that terbutaline is not involved in the synthesis of lung surfactant but enhances secretion and exerts a beneficial action upon fetal lung adaptability to the outside uterine environment through alveolar stabilization.