Mineralocorticoid effects in the late gestation ovine fetal lung.

ABSTRACT: This study was designed to determine the effects of corticosteroids at MR in the late-gestation fetal lung. Since both the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) are expressed at relatively high levels in the fetal lung, endogenous corticosteroids may act at MR as well as GR in the preterm fetal lung. The GR agonist, betamethasone, the MR agonist, aldosterone, or both were infused intravenously for 48 h in ovine fetuses of approximately 130 days gestation. Effects on airway pressures during stepwise inflation of the in situ lung, expression of ENaC alpha (SCNN1A), ENaC beta (SCNN1B), and Na,K ATPase (ATP1A1), and elastin and collagen content were determined after the infusions. We found that aldosterone significantly reduced the airway pressure measured during

SUBMITTER: McCartney J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4187571 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature