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Preterm birth impairs postnatal lung development in the neonatal rabbit model.

Thomas Salaets¹, Margo Aertgeerts², André Gie²

¹Department of Development and Regeneration, KULeuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. thomas.salaets@kuleuven.be.

Respiratory Research

|February 23, 2020

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Preterm birth significantly impacts neonatal lung development, causing structural and functional deficits that persist. This highlights the importance of studying prematurity

Area of Science:

Neonatology
Pulmonology
Developmental Biology

Background:

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a significant cause of chronic respiratory morbidity.
Current preclinical research often overlooks the impact of prematurity itself, focusing instead on hyperoxia or mechanical ventilation.
Understanding the isolated effects of prematurity on lung development is crucial for novel BPD therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the independent effects of prematurity on lung structure and function in neonatal rabbits.
To establish a relevant animal model for studying BPD pathogenesis.
To identify developmental pathways disrupted by preterm birth.

Main Methods:

Neonatal rabbits were delivered at different gestational ages (term vs. preterm).

Keywords:

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia Lung development Prematurity Preterm birth

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Lung morphometry, surfactant protein analysis, lung function testing, and qPCR were performed at various time points.

MicroCT and dark field imaging were utilized to assess lung aeration and structure.

Main Results:

Preterm pups exhibited rudimentary lung structure with larger alveoli and thicker septations at birth.
Delayed lung aeration and reduced alveolar surface area were observed in preterm neonates.
Preterm birth impaired lung function, increasing tissue damping, elastance, and resistance, while decreasing dynamic compliance.

Conclusions:

Preterm birth has lasting detrimental effects on lung structure and function beyond the immediate neonatal period.
The preterm rabbit model effectively recapitulates key aspects of BPD development.
Identifying disrupted in-utero developmental pathways offers potential targets for future BPD therapeutic strategies.