Register for email alerts and news feeds:
This journal | BMJ Group
rss
Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition 1998;78:F204-F208; doi:10.1136/fn.78.3.F204
Copyright © 1998 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 1998;78:F204-F208 ( May )

Effect of dexamethasone on endothelial nitric oxide synthase in experimental congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Bruce O Okoye,a Paul D Losty,a Michael J Fisher,b Irene Wilmott,a David A Lloyda

a Department of Paediatric Surgery Institute of Child Health Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, b Department of Biochemistry, University of Liverpool

Correspondence to: Mr Paul Losty Institute of Child Health Alder Hey Children's Hospital Eaton Road, Liverpool L12 2AP.


Accepted 14 January 1998

AIMS---To study the effect of prenatal glucocorticoid treatment on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression in rats with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).
METHODS---CDH was induced in fetal rats by the maternal administration of nitrofen on day 9.5 of gestation. Dexamethasone was administered on days 18.5 and 19.5 before delivery of the fetuses on days 20.5 and 21.5. Pulmonary eNOS protein expression was studied by western immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS---On day 20.5, eNOS expression was significantly reduced in CDH pups compared with normal control rats. Dexamethasone treated CDH pups had eNOS concentrations equivalent to those of normal animals. By day 21.5, however, there was no detectable difference in eNOS expression between the experimental groups.
CONCLUSIONS---eNOS is deficient in near term (day 20.5) CDH rats. Dexamethasone restores eNOS expression in these animals to that seen in normal rat lungs. At term, the precise role of eNOS in the pathophysiology of CDH remains uncertain.

Keywords: congenital diaphragmatic hernia; endothelial nitric oxide synthase; glucocorticoids; nitrofen


© 1998 by Archives of Disease in Childhood

Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Pearl, J. M., Schwartz, S. M., Nelson, D. P., Wagner, C. J., Lyons, J. M., Bauer, S. M., Duffy, J. Y. (2004). Preoperative glucocorticoids decrease pulmonary hypertension in piglets after cardiopulmonary bypass and circulatory arrest. Ann. Thorac. Surg. 77: 994-1000 [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article

Services
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Topic Collections
Bookmark with

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.

Latest from ADC

 

ADC is co-owned by the RCPCH and is the official journal of the European Academy of Paediatrics

BMJ Careers - Latest Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery Jobs

Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery Jobs