Abstract
Metyrapone (M), an 11-β-hydroxylase inhibitor, blocks the production of cortisol and corticosterone by the adrenals. Since both the surfactant (S) system and antioxidant enzyme (AOE) system can be stimulated by exogenous glucocorticoids (Ped. Res.18: 1771A, 1984), we postulated that both systems might be under endogenous glucocorticoid control. Thus, maternal injection of metyrapone, which crosses the placenta, should produce a delay in maturation of disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) and AOE (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GP)). Timed-pregnancy rats were injected twice daily with Metyrapone (45 mg/kg) 72, 48 and 24 hours before delivery at days 21 or term. Although evidence for adrenal blockade was not complete with every litter examined, most of the litters manifested the following:
(% difference, M vs. control; 5 litters each group - 21 days; 3 litters each - 22 days; 3-5 pooled lung samples/litter). These results suggest that with adequate inhibition of endogenous glucocorticoids, parallel delays in maturation of both AOE and S systems become apparent. Thus, both of these important developmental systems in the fetal lung may be influenced by some of the same biochemical control mechanisms.
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Sosenko, I., Lewis, P. & Frank, L. 1838 METYRAPONE DELAYS MATURATION OF FETAL LUNG SURFACTANT ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES: ARE BOTH UNDER ENDOGENOUS GLUCOCORTICOID CONTROL?. Pediatr Res 19, 417 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01856
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01856
