[Effect of beta adrenergic drugs on phospholipid synthesis in the human fetal lung]

Human fetal lungs originating from legal absortion (n:16) (8-12 weeks) were cultured for 3 weeks. The effects of beta-adrenergic and/or corticosteroid stimulation on the synthesis of osmiophilic lamellar bodies i.e. surfactant production in II type pneumocytes were studied. Fenoterol (10 ng/5 ml for 5 days) has no effect on the synthesis of lamellar bodies. Following dexamethasone treatment (10 ng/5 ml for 5 days) characteristic osmiophilic lamellar bodies appeared in the cytoplasm. If fenoterol and dexamethasone were applied together in the culture altered lamellar body structure could have been observed: the lamellar bodies had a large homogenous osmiophilic center and some parts of the osmiophilic material were found outside the lamellar bodies. It seems that the beta-adrenergic stimulation does not induce lamellar body synthesis, but it can play a role in the release of surfactant from the lamellar bodies into cytoplasm and alveolar space as well.