Role of autonomic nervous system controlling secretion of pulmonary phospholipids in the rabbit at birth.

Abstract

Corbet, A. J. S., Flax, P., Alston, C. and Rudolph, A. J. (1979). Aust. Paediatr. J., 15, 238–242. Role of autonomic nervous system controlling secretion of pulmonary phospholipids in the rabbit at birth. Saline, propranolol or atropine was injected into 29.5 day fetal and newborn rabbits, and after 15 minutes they were sacrificed at delivery or allowed to breath room air for a further 45 minutes. Then the lungs were lavaged with physiological saline and measurements made of total phospholipid in lavage fluid. From the lungs of nonbreathing fetal and newborn rabbits injected with saline, propranolol or atropine, recovery of phospholipid was a mean of 5.0, 4.2 and 5.2 micrograms per gram dry lung weight per gram body weight respectively. Breathing for 45 minutes was associated with an increase to mean values of 7.6 p <0.05), 6.7 (p<0.05) and 5.6 micrograms per gram dry lung weight per gram body weight respectively. These results were interpreted to mean that the normal increase of pulmonary phospholipid secretion associated with the onset of breathing at birth could be inhibited by atropine, but not by propranolol. This suggests that the secretory process associated with breathing is under control of the parasympathetic nervous system.