Abstract
Hyperglycemia has been implicated as a cause of delayed fetal lung maturation in the diabetic pregnancy. Previous work has shown that high glucose levels inhibit biochemical and morphologic maturation of fetal lung in vitro. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of high glucose on fetal lung development at different times during gestation.
Fetal rat lung explants (17.5-21.5 days) were grown for 48 hr in media containing 10, 50, or 100mM glucose, pulsed with H3-choline, and the rate of incorporation into phosphatidylcholine assayed.
Significantly decreased rates of choline incorporation were seen with 19.5 and 20.5 day lungs grown in 100mM glucose, compared to those grown in 10mM glucose (27% and 29% inhibition, respectively; p<.001). Earlier in gestation (17.5 and 18.5 days) 100mM glucose resulted in significant increases in choline incorporation rate (26% acceleration; p<.01)(Fig). Explants grown in 50 mM glucose had effects similar to, but of lesser magnitude than, those grown in 100mM glucose. Equiosmolar mannitol controls did not have equivalent inhibitory or acceleratory effect.
These results suggest that high glucose exerts differing effects on fetal lung development at different times during gestation. The critical period for inhibition appears limited to a time late in gestation, consistent with our previous in vivo data.
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Gewolb, I. DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF HIGH GLUCOSE ON FETAL LUNG MATURATION IN VITRO AS A FUNCTION OF GESTATIONAL AGE. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 213 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00280
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00280