ROLE OF FATTY-ACIDS IN LUNG DEVELOPMENT

The role of maternal dietary fat in the regulation of fetal and newbor n lung surfactant lipid synthesis has not been completely elucidated. Dietary fat can modulate cell membrane phospholipid fatty acid composi tion, resulting in altered membrane fluidity and affecting cellular fu nctions, including binding to hormone receptors and the binding and ac tivity of membrane-associated enzymes. Two examples are discussed that support the hypothesis that exogenous fatty acids modulate phospholip id synthesis in the lung. In the first example, long-chain unsaturated fatty acids were found to inhibit glucocorticoid receptor binding in L2 cells, suggesting that fatty acids may affect steroid responsivenes s during different developmental stages of the lung. In the second exa mple, a relationship was established between changes in membrane lipid composition during lung development and the activity of cholinephosph ate cytidylyltransferase, the rate-limiting enzyme in phosphatidylchol ine synthesis. The effects demonstrated in these in vitro studies will need to be confirmed by dietary studies of pregnant animals.