Abstract
Dexamethasone (Dex), theophylline (Th) and triiodothyronine (T3) act directly on fetal lung to enhance phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis. We have investigated the effects of combinations of these agents on PC synthesis in organ culture in order to determine whether there is a biologic basis for hormone interactions in the developing lung. Explants of 18 day fetal rat lung were exposed to optimal doses of these agents, alone or in combination, for 48 hours. The effects on the rate of choline incorporation into PC were:These effects are supra-additive. Similar results were obtained when Dex was combined with cyclic AMP, but the changes were less striking with caffeine. The disaturated PC content of the explants was increased 89 ± 4% by Dex, 79 ± 5% by Th and 143 ± 10% by Dex + Th. These data imply that the agents act via different mechanisms and provide a rationale for in vivo animal studies of combined hormone administration. The findings also suggest that the general hormonal milieu of the fetus must be considered in studies of the induction of fetal lung maturation. (Supported by USPHS grant HL 19752.)
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