Abstract
Prenatal administration of glucocorticoids enhances pulmonary maturation in the premature lung by increasing surfactant production. Steroids also exert profound anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. Lung washings were obtained from neonatal rabbits of different ages, born to mothers given 1-2 mg dexamethasone 2-3 days before delivery and from untreated controls. Cellular elements obtained were counted and cell viability assessed by trypan blue exclusion. Majority of cells were esterase stain positive. The yield of cells in both groups was similar and showed age related increase from 47±25×106 cells in 1st week of life to 102±15×106 cells in 4th week. Monolayers of adherent PAM were overlayed with rabbit IgG anti-sheep RBC complex; resultant rosettes formed were counted. Percentage of Fc-receptor bearing PAM also increased in both groups with increasing age. However, percentage of Fc-receptor positive cells was significantly lower in steroid treated group i.e., 48±1% in 1st week to 59±11% in 2nd week of life vs 65% in 1st week to 79±4% in 2nd week of life, in control animals.These observations suggest that although prenatally administered corticosteroids produce no significant change in numbers of PAM in neonatal rabbits, these cells, however are immature as demonstrated by decreased Fc-receptor activity. Steroid induced functional impairment of PAM may further imperil the neonate who is already susceptible to infections.
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Kaul, A., Tiku, M. & Rhone, D. 933 EFFECTS OF PRENATAL ADMINISTRATION OF CORTICOSTEROIDS ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND MATURATION OF PULMONARY ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGE (PAM) IN THE FETAL AND NEONATAL RABBITS. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 598 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00958
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00958