Circulatory changes following premature delivery in a baboon model of hyaline membrane disease

The premature baboon delivered by hysterotomy at 140 +/- 2 days (75%) gestation develops hyaline membrane disease (HMD) and left-to-right (L-R) shunting through the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). To characterize hemodynamic changes that follow premature delivery, we measured systemic and organ blood flow, oxygen transport, and systemic vascular resistance over the first 96 h of life. We compared these measurements with those from more mature animals of the same species. Radiolabeled microspheres were used to measure organ blood flow (in ml.min-1.g-1) at 3 (n = 18), 23 (n = 17), and 96 h (n = 4) in the premature animals, and at 13 +/- 4 mo in the older animals (n = 5). Premature animals demonstrated over the first 96 h of life significant hemodynamic changes that included decreased systemic vascular resistance (P less than 0.001), increased systemic (P less than 0.05), intestinal (P less than 0.05), and hepatic blood flow (P less than 0.05), as well as resolution of L-R PDA shunting. These 96-h values were similar to those of the more mature infant baboons. Blood flow and oxygen transport to the kidneys and cerebrum did not significantly increase over the first 96 h in premature baboons and were significantly less than those of 13-mo-old animals (P less than 0.01, both). We speculate that low renal and cerebral blood flow in the 140-day premature baboon are manifestations of multisystem immaturity and, as such, may represent persistent physiological disturbances that are distinct from the severity of underlying lung disease in HMD.