Premium
Ultrastructural evaluation of type II pneumocytes in the hypoplastic lung of rabbit fetuses induced by oligohydramnios
Author(s) -
Asabe Koushi,
Oka Yoichiro,
Kai Hiroki,
Shirakusa Takayuki
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1447-0756
pISSN - 1341-8076
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0756.2007.00655.x
Subject(s) - lamellar granule , oligohydramnios , fetus , pulmonary hypoplasia , lung , shunting , medicine , pathology , ultrastructure , hypoplasia , andrology , anatomy , pulmonary surfactant , biology , pregnancy , biochemistry , genetics
Aim: The present study was carried out using electron microscopy to evaluate the expression of lamellar bodies in type II pneumocytes of fetal rabbit lungs with hypoplasia induced by oligohydramnios. Methods: Using an amniotic shunting rabbit model, the lungs obtained from 32 fetuses, including 16 experimental fetuses (shunting group) and 16 control fetuses (control group), were used for electron microscopic studies. At least 250 type II pneumocytes per fetus were photographed. The number of lamellar bodies per type II pneumocyte was counted. Results: The number of lamellar bodies per type II pneumocyte of the shunting group was consistently and significantly less than that of the control group (5.49 ± 2.07 vs 7.58 ± 2.08; P < 0.01). Conclusions: These results suggest that the occurrence of hypoplastic lungs induced by oligohydramnios is associated with an immaturity of the surfactant system, especially the expression of the lamellar bodies of type II pneumocytes.