Abstract
Our aim was to determine whether fetal exposure to intraamniotic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) persistently alters the lungs following moderate preterm birth. Fetal sheep were exposed to LPS (1 mg/d) or saline from 0.75 to preterm birth at 0.90 of gestation. Eleven weeks after preterm birth, lung structure was unaltered. Interleukin (IL)-1β messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were elevated in lungs of LPS-exposed lambs (P <.05) but IL-1β protein levels were unaltered. Lung mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor α, and percentage of inflammatory cells were not different between groups. Surfactant protein (SP)-A and SP-C mRNA levels and SP-B tissue protein expression were higher in LPS-exposed lambs than controls (all P <.05); however, expression of SP-A and SP-C proteins was reduced. Prenatal LPS exposure causes a persistent increase in gene expression of proinflammatory mediators and surfactant proteins and a decrease in lung tissue SP-A and -C protein expression after preterm birth, which may affect lung immunity.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1352-1364 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Reproductive Sciences |
Volume | 19 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2012 Dec 1 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- inflammation
- lipopolysaccharide
- lung morphometry
- surfactant
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology