Antenatal corticosteroids increase fetal, but not postnatal, pulmonary blood flow in sheep.

Full Abstract

The lungs of very preterm infants have immature airways and gas exchange structures and are usually surfactant deficient. Antenatal corticosteroids are commonly used to enhance fetal lung maturation in preterm infants, but little is known of their effects on pulmonary blood flow (PBF) before and immediately after birth. Our aim was to determine the effects of antenatal betamethasone on PBF before birth and during the postnatal transition in very preterm lambs. Antenatal betamethasone treatment significantly increased mean fetal PBF from 20.2 +/- 5.1 to 84.3 +/- 18.3 mL/min at 30 h after administration; the PBF waveform was also significantly altered. Mean diastolic PBF increased from -38.5 +/- 4.9 pretreatment to -10.2 +/- 11.0 mL/min at approximately 36 h after the initial betamethasone dose (negative values indicate retrograde flow away from the lungs). Within 10 min after delivery, PBF was similar in control and betamethasone-treated lambs. These data demonstrate that antenatal betamethasone significantly increases fetal PBF and alters the PBF waveform but has little effect on postnatal PBF.

Author information

Author/s: Crossley, Kelly J (KJ); Morley, Colin J (CJ); Allison, Beth J (BJ); Davis, Peter G (PG); Polglase, Graeme R (GR); Wallace, Megan J (MJ); Zahra, Valerie A (VA); Hooper, Stuart B (SB);

Affiliation: Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia. kelly.crossley(-atsign-)med.monash.edu.au

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Pediatric research (Pediatr Res), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 66 (issue 3) : pp 283-8

Dates: Created 2009/08/20; Completed 2009/10/27;

PMID: 19542907, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/27/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Animals
Animals, Newborn - physiology
Betamethasone - pharmacology
Female
Fetus - drug effects; physiology
Glucocorticoids - pharmacology
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III - metabolism

Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III - metabolism
Pregnancy
Pulmonary Artery - metabolism
Pulmonary Circulation - drug effects
Regional Blood Flow - drug effects
Sheep
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - metabolism

Associated Chemicals: Glucocorticoids (0) ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (0) ; Betamethasone (378-44-9) ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III (EC 1.14.13.39)

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