Published in Biology of the neonate
We measured alveolar-to-vascular leakage of surfactant protein A (SP-A) in immature newborn rabbits delivered at a gestational age of 27 days. Experimental animals received, via a tracheal cannula, 2 ml/kg of a mixture of modified porcine surfactant (Curosurf, 80 mg/ml) and human recombinant SP-A (4 mg/ml). Littermate controls received the same vol...
Published in Biology of the neonate
In order to assess the possible influence of differences in delivery mode on cardiovascular adaptation at birth, we measured left ventricular output and its regional distribution in the major organs sequentially using an echographic technique during the first 96 h of life. We studied 27 normal newborns, of whom 15 were delivered vaginally and 12 by...
Published in Biology of the neonate
Lipase and trypsin activities were estimated in preprandially aspirated duodenal juice of preterm infants with gestational ages between 29 and 32 weeks (group I, n = 33) or between 33 and 36 weeks (group II, n = 22) during the first 6 weeks of postnatal life. The results were compared with the enzyme activities measured in 2- to 6-year-old children...
Published in Biology of the neonate
Endothelins (ETs) are highly vasoconstrictive 21-amino acid peptides possessing also cell-proliferative properties. They have been implicated in a variety of perinatal pathologic conditions, and their plasma concentrations have been found elevated in humans at birth. The purpose of this study was to determine ET 1-21 plasma concentrations in health...
Published in Biology of the neonate
Surfactant protein B (SP-B) deficiency is an inherited disease of full-term newborn infants which leads to lethal respiratory failure within the first year of life. Genetic analysis of affected infants has permitted identification of a mutation in the SP-B gene found in several unrelated kindreds which disrupts pulmonary surfactant composition and ...
Published in Biology of the neonate
A study was conducted with neonatal boars to measure age-related changes in functioning of the pituitary-adrenocortical axis. Pigs were randomly assigned to control (n = 7-10/age) or treated (1-min restraint, n = 9-11/age) groups to be sampled at either 12, 19, or 26 days of age. Blood samples were taken via catheter 10 min before and 3, 10, and 20...
Published in Biology of the neonate
A prospective, randomized, controlled evaluation comparing a 4-mg/kg loading dose (LD) of gentamicin to the standard regimen of 2.5 mg/kg every 12, 18 or 24 h was conducted in critically ill neonates. The objective of the study was to compare the time required to achieve a therapeutic peak serum concentration (i.e. the number of dosing intervals) a...
Published in Biology of the neonate
Porcine growth hormone was given subcutaneously twice daily to two groups of 20 females at dose levels of 0.5 and 2.5 IU/kg (1 and 5 IU/kg/day). A control group of 20 females was similarly treated with vehicle. The females were given either vehicle or porcine growth hormone from gestation day (GD) 6 through GD 21, for 10 females that were cesarean ...
Published in Biology of the neonate
To examine the development of daily variations in dopamine levels, we measured dopamine concentrations within five distinct brainstem regions in 3- and 21-day-old, and adult rabbits at 09.30, 15.30, 21.30 and 03.30 h. Dopamine was measured by radioenzymatic assay and the dopamine concentration was expressed relative to wet tissue weight. In additio...
Published in Biology of the neonate
Wistar rat embryos were explanted on day 10.5 of gestation and exposed in vitro to methamphetamine (MAMP) at a concentration of 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, or 0.8 mM for 24 h, and the direct teratogenic effects of the drug on rat embryos were examined. The viability of cultured embryos was not affected by the MAMP treatment. The yolk sac diameter was reduc...
