Surfactant improves lung function and morphology in newborn rabbits with meconium aspiration

Abstract

Nearly mature newborn rabbits (gestational age 29.5 days) were tracheotomized at birth and received, via the tracheal cannula, 6 ml/kg body weight of a filtered saline suspension of human meconium, 65 or 130 mg/ml. Animals were kept in body plethysmographs and ventilated for 60 min with standardized tidal volume (8-10 ml/kg). Aspiration of meconium caused, in both groups, a statistically significant reduction in lung-thorax compliance, elevated PCO2 in heart blood and reduced alveolar volume density (VV) in histological sections. Both groups responded to treatment with exogenous surfactant (Curosurf, 200 mg/kg) with a moderate, statistically significant improvement in lung-thorax compliance, PCO2 and alveolar VV. Our data indicate that respiratory failure after neonatal meconium aspiration may be influenced favorably by treatment with exogenous surfactant.