Biochemical maturation of the guinea pig lung and survival following premature delivery

Holgate, S.T., Hunt, A.N., Kelly, F.J., Postle, T.D., Rickett, G.M. and Town, G.I. (1991) Biochemical maturation of the guinea pig lung and survival following premature delivery. International Journal of Biochemistry, 23 (4), 467 - 471. (doi:10.1016/0020-711X(91)90175-M).

Abstract

1. Viable preterm guinea pigs were delivered by Caesarean section from 62 day gestation (term = 68 days).
2. Survival rates (24 hr) were greater than 90%, greater than 55% and greater than 35% respectively at 65, 63 and 62 days gestation. Guinea pig pups experienced increasing respiratory difficulty with progressive prematurity.
3. Lung phosphatidylcholine concentration increased steadily from 0.52 +/- 0.09 mumol/mg DNA at day 50 to 3.9 +/- 0.5 mumol/mg DNA at term. The relative contribution of the disaturated dipalmitoyl species increased over this time from 24.5 to 42.9%.
4. Pulmonary antioxidant capacity increased markedly over the final eight days of gestation, individual increases being manganese superoxide dismutase 68%, copper/zinc superoxide dismutase 48%, glutathione peroxide 37% and catalase 198%.

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Contributors

Author: A.N. Hunt

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