Effects of betamethasone on phospholipid content, composition and biosynthesis in the fetal rabbit lung

摘要: Abstract Administration of betamethasone (0.2 mg/kg, intramuscularly) to pregnant rabbits had the following effects on fetal lung at 26–27 days gestation. It increased amount phosphatidylcholine in lavage by 70% and almost doubled phosphatidylcholine/sphingomyelin ratio, it rate incorporation choline into slices up 90%, activities pulmonary cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase phosphatidate phosphatase 50% reduced glycogen 60% controls. Betamethasone no effect cholinephosphotransferase or lysolecithin: lysolecithin acyltransferase but sligthly decreased activity kinase. administration doe did not increase surfactant phospholipid as great an extent direct cortisol fetuses. Neither stimulate cholinephosphotransferase. These data suggest that agents other than glucocorticoids mediate stress-induced acceleration maturation production.