[The effect of betamethasone (celeston) on fetal lung development in rats]

The influence of betamethasone (celestone) was studied on the fetal lung development in pregnant rats of Wistar strain. It was shown that the drug was without effect, administered singly. After treatment of the pregnant rats for a period of 3 days with a dose of 0.100 mg/kg the content of the lung surfactant in their amniotic fluids was increased, manifested by an elevation of the threshold dilution (TD), determined by the method of the black foam film. Administration of two-fold higher dose did not cause quicker synthesis of surfactant. The morphological examination of the fetal lung showed that celestone accelerated the synthesis, maturation and secretion of surfactant and intensified differentiation of prealvelocytes of I and II types after the 18th day of the fetal development, which occurred a day earlier than in the control rats.