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Endogenous corticoids and lung development in the fetal rabbit.
Endocrinology
|April 1, 1986
Summary
In rabbits, fetal plasma cortisol and lung nuclear receptor-cortisol complexes do not correlate with lung maturation. This suggests endogenous glucocorticoids may play a delayed role in rabbit lung development.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Endocrinology
- Developmental biology
Background:
- Exogenous corticosteroid administration accelerates fetal lung maturation.
- Endogenous glucocorticoids may modulate normal fetal lung development.
- Rabbit models are crucial for studying lung differentiation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental patterns of plasma corticoids and their binding proteins in fetal rabbits.
- To examine the role of endogenous glucocorticoids in fetal lung development.
Main Methods:
- Measured plasma cortisol and corticosterone concentrations throughout gestation.
- Assessed corticosteroid-binding globulin levels in fetal and maternal plasma.
- Quantified nuclear cortisol content in fetal lung tissue extracts.
Main Results:
- Fetal plasma cortisol peaked at 23 days gestation and declined towards term.
- Fetal corticosteroid-binding globulin significantly decreased late in gestation, while maternal levels increased.
- Nuclear cortisol levels in fetal lungs remained constant during late gestation.
Conclusions:
- Plasma cortisol and nuclear receptor-cortisol complexes are not temporally linked to major lung development events in rabbits.
- Endogenous glucocorticoids might exert a permissive or delayed influence on rabbit fetal lung development.