Effect of postnatal malnutrition on hyperoxia-induced newborn lung development

Several factors are associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Among them, hyperoxia and lung immaturity are considered to be fundamental; however, the effect of malnutrition is unknown. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of 7 days of postnatal malnutrition and hyperoxia on lung weight, volume, water content, and pulmonary morphometry of premature rabbits. After csection, 28-day-old New Zealand white rabbits were randomized into four groups: control diet and room air (CA, N = 17), control diet and ¡Ý95% O2 (CH, N = 17), malnutrition and room air (MA, N = 18), and malnutrition and ¡Ý95% O2 (MH, N = 18). Malnutrition was defined as a 30% reduction of all the nutrients provided in the control diet. Treatments were maintained for 7 days, after which histological and morphometric analyses were conducted. Lung slices were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, modified orcein-resorcin or picrosirius. The results of morphometric analysis indicated that postnatal malnutrition decreased lung weight (CA: 0.83 ¡À 0.19; CH: 0.96 ¡À 0.28; MA: 0.65 ¡À 0.17; MH: 0.79 ¡À 0.22 g) and water content, as well as the number of alveoli (CA: 12.43 ¡À 3.07; CH: 8.85 ¡À 1.46; MA: 7.33 ¡À 0.88; MH: 6.36 ¡À 1.53 x 10-3/mm) and elastic and collagen fibers. Hyperoxia reduced the number of alveoli and increased septal thickening and the mean linear intercept. The reduction of alveolar number, collagen and elastic fibers was intensified when malnutrition and hyperoxia were associated. These data suggest that dietary restriction enhances the magnitude of hyperoxia-induced alveolar growth arrest and lung parenchymal remodeling. It is interesting to consider the important influence of postnatal nutrition upon lung development and ronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Sindrome da brida amniotica / Amniotic band syndrome

Os autores descrevem um caso de sindrome da brida amniotica com comprometimento facial, cranial e pe torto congenito. As manifestacoes clinicas principais e a etiologia da sindrome sao discutidas, ressaltando o cuidado com o amniocentese no primeiro trimestre. A sindrome da brida amniotica (S.B.A.) tem varias sinonimias: constricao anular congenita, bandas amniogenicas, banda de tecido aberrante "adam complex" ("amniotic deformaty, adhesions, mutilations") e sequencia da brida amniotica. Ela e constituida por uma serie de anomalias anatomicas do recem-nascido, associadas a estrangulamento de partes feitas "in utero" levando a deformacoes, malformacoes ou roturas. A apresentacao deste caso clinico tem o objetivo de alertar os pediatras e obstetras para esta patologia pouco frequente e cujo diagnostico e muitas vezes feito erroneamente, em vista das multiplas caracteristicas que a sindrome da brida amniotica pode assumir.