Abstract
Pilocarpine (Pc) produces decreased surface tension in lungs of fetal rabbits at 27.5 days gestation, which effect is blocked with propranolol (Ped. Res. 10:459, 1976). Fetal rabbits of the same gestation were injected with Pc or saline, killed 3 hours later and the lungs lavaged. In PC injected fetal rabbits recovered airspace phospholipid (PL) was 38μg per gram dry lung weight (± SE 3.4) compared with 23μg (± SE 2.7) in saline injected controls (p<0.001). Isoxsuprine (Ix) but not phenylephrine injected 3 hours before delivery produced decreased surface tension in lungs of fetal rabbits at 27.5 days as shown by static pressure-volume curves. The lungs of Ix injected rabbits retained 47% total lung capacity at 5cm. water pressure compared with 25% in saline injected controls (p<0.001). This effect was blocked by propranolol, but not by phenoxybenzamine or atropine. The lungs of Ix injected fetal rabbits contained 83% water compared with 89% in saline controls (p<0.001), but an increased in PL could not be demonstrated, 25μg per gram dry lung weight compared with 23μg in saline controls. Decreased tension may result from increased concentration of surfactant at the surface. However at 26.5 days PL in lavage from Ix injected fetal rabbits was 25μg per gram dry lung weight compared with 14μg in controls (p<0.001). The data are taken as further evidence that the sympathetic nervous system controls the activity of pulmonary surfactant.
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