Effects of beractant in an experimental model of meconium aspiration syndrome

• Grant number: 12/05636-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: João Cesar Lyra
• Grantee: Derek Silva Moreira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is an important cause of respiratory failure in newborns (NB) that eliminate meconium during intrauterine life. Despite of several treatment purposes, it is related to high mortality in this group of patients. As the physiopathological mechanism includes surfactant inhibition, exogenous surfactant replacement has been used to treat MAS. This approach has shown good results in experimental studies, not confirmed by clinical trials.The objective of this study is to determine the effects of the calf surfactant (beractant) on the lung tissue morphology and pulmonary function, assessed by dynamic compliance, ventilatory pressure, and lung volumes. Design/Methods: Human meconium (65 mg/ml, 6 ml/kg) will be administrated through tracheostomy to newborn rabbits born by c-section (30 days). Animals will be ventilated using a ventilator-plethysmograph system for 20 min and dynamic compliance, ventilatory pressure and tidal volume will be recorded each 5 min. After 5 min ventilation animals will be randomized into 2 study groups according to the treatment: Meconium (no surfactant treatment), Surfactant (treatment with surfactant 100 mg/kg). A PV-curve will be performed to determine the lung volumes and histological analysis will be done calculating the mean alveolar size (Lm) and the distortion index (DI). Survanta ®, a surfactant from bovine lung maceration - 25 mg lipids/ml, will be used in this experiment. Statistical analysis will be by One Way ANOVA, significance will be set at 0.05.(AU)