Lung alterations in newborn rabbits after maternal thrombin-shock. II. Lung phospholipids

Alterations of the lung- and lung lavage fluid-phospholipids (PL's) after a maternal thrombin-shock have been studied in 1 and 5 h old newborn rabbits delivered at days 28 and 30 of gestation. In lung wash the amount of PL increases during the period of gestation and during the first hours of life. In asphyxiated mature animals the PL-content is statistically significantly decreased. The very low PL-content of the lung wash in premature born animals is not affected by asphyxia. The amount of phosphatidyl choline (PC) as a percentage of total PL is unchanged in all animals studied. The PL and PC content in the lung tissue follows the same developmental pattern but the differences are not statistically significant. Changes in the lung weight/body weight (LW/BW)--ratio after asphyxia show a disturbed development of the newborn lung, too.