Influence of postnatally administered glucocorticoids on rat lung growth

Tschanz, Stefan A.; Damke, Beat M; Burri, Peter Hermann (1995). Influence of postnatally administered glucocorticoids on rat lung growth. Biology of the Neonate, 68(4), pp. 229-245. Karger 10.1159/000244241

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Postnatal formation of alveoli can be largely prevented by glucocorticoid treatment, which accelerates alveolar wall thinning and inhibits outgrowth of new interalveolar septa. Since a double capillary network is a prerequisite for interalveolar wall formation, we hypothesized that glucocorticoid treatment inhibited alveolar formation, indirectly, by inducing precocious microvascular maturation. Between 4 and 60 days we followed up qualitatively and quantitatively the effects of 2 weeks (days 2-15) of daily Decadron (Dexamethasone phosphate) injections on the lung structure. Glucocorticoid induced only small changes in body weight or lung volume. However, during the first 2 weeks, it accelerated alveolar wall thinning and microvascular maturation and partly suppressed the outgrowth of new interalveolar septa. In Decadron-treated rats, the interstitial tissue mass was significantly reduced during the first 2 weeks, and a larger alveolar surface area was endowed with a capillary monolayer on days 10 and 13. One week after drug withdrawal, the trend towards precocious maturation of the lung was reversed. Lipofibroblasts reappeared, and inter-airspace septa regressed towards a more immature state. We found indications of a second burst of alveolization by resumption of secondary septa formation. The late sequelae of Decadron treatment (day 60) were manifested as an 'emphysematous' condition of the lungs, with larger and fewer airspaces, the delayed alveolization being insufficient to compensate for the initial deficit.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > Institute of Anatomy 04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > Institute of Anatomy > Anatomy
UniBE Contributor:	Tschanz, Stefan A., Burri, Peter Hermann
Subjects:	600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health 500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology
ISSN:	0006-3126
Publisher:	Karger
Language:	English
Submitter:	Stefan Andreas Tschanz
Date Deposited:	07 Mar 2014 02:49
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:27
Publisher DOI:	10.1159/000244241
PubMed ID:	8580214
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/40102