Role of fatty acids in lung development

The role of maternal dietary fat in the regulation of fetal and newborn lung surfactant lipid synthesis has not been completely elucidated. Dietary fat can modulate cell membrane phospholipid fatty acid composition, resulting in altered membrane fluidity and affecting cellular functions, including binding to hormone receptors and the binding and activity of membrane-associated enzymes. Two examples are discussed that support the hypothesis that exogenous fatty acids modulate phospholipid synthesis in the lung. In the first example, long-chain unsaturated fatty acids were found to inhibit glucocorticoid receptor binding in L2 cells, suggesting that fatty acids may affect steroid responsiveness during different developmental stages of the lung. In the second example, a relationship was established between changes in membrane lipid composition during lung development and the activity of cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase, the rate-limiting enzyme in phosphatidylcholine synthesis. The effects demonstrated in these in vitro studies will need to be confirmed by dietary studies of pregnant animals.