Ba. Woods et al., EFFECTS OF ACETYLCHOLINE ON LUNG LIQUID PRODUCTION BY IN-VITRO LUNGS FROM FETAL GUINEA-PIGS, Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology, 74(8), 1996, pp. 918-927
Lungs from near-term fetal guinea pigs (61 +/- 2 days of gestation) we
re supported in vitro far 3 h; lung liquid production was monitored by
a dye dilution method. Untreated preparations produced lung liquid wi
th no significant changes (ANOVA; regression analysis) (rates in succe
ssive hours, initial study: 1.37 +/- 0.30, 1.36 +/- 0.30, and 1.28 +/-
0.27 mL . kg(-1) body weight . h(-1); n = 6). Preparations given acet
ylcholine at 10(-4) (n = 6), 10(-5) (n = 6), and 10(-6) M (n = 18) dur
ing the middle hour showed marked and significant fluid reabsorption (
p < 0.025-0.0005); 10(-8) M acetylcholine was without effect. Reductio
ns were linearly related to log concentration of acetylcholine (r = 0.
97; theoretical threshold, 1.0 x 10(-7) M acetylcholine). Atropine, at
10(-5) M, greatly reduced responses to acetylcholine, and all reabsor
ptions were abolished; 10(-4) M atropine completely abolished all resp
onses to acetylcholine; atropine alone had no effect (based on 48 stud
ies). The a-adrenoreceptor antagonist phentolamine (1.78 x 10(-5) M) a
bolished the effects of 10(-6) M acetylcholine, but had no effect alon
e (based on 48 studies); the beta-adrenoreceptor antagonist propranolo
l (10(-5) M) had no effect on responses to 10(-6) M acetylcholine (bas
ed on 24 studies). It is suggested that acetylcholine at physiological
levels can produce lung liquid reabsorption by activating muscarinic
receptors and releasing catecholamines within the lungs; these catecho
lamines act via alpha-receptors. This raises the possibility of neural
controls of lung liquid reabsorption during the early stages of deliv
ery or neonatal life.