The fetal sheep lung does not respond to cortisol infusion during the late canalicular phase of development.

ABSTRACT: The prepartum surge in plasma cortisol concentrations in humans and sheep promotes fetal lung and surfactant system maturation in the support of air breathing after birth. This physiological process has been used to enhance lung maturation in the preterm fetus using maternal administration of betamethasone in the clinical setting in fetuses as young as 24 weeks gestation (term = 40 weeks). Here, we have investigated the impact of fetal intravenous cortisol infusion during the canalicular phase of lung development (from 109- to 116-days gestation, term = 150 ± 3 days) on the expression of genes regulating glucocorticoid (GC) activity, lung liquid reabsorption, and surfactant maturation in the very preterm sheep fetus and compared this to their expression near term. Cortisol infusion had no

SUBMITTER: McGillick EV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3871449 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature