Lipid Peroxidation in the Newborn Rat: Influence of Fasting and Hyperoxia on Ethane and Pentane in Expired Air

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Abstract
The rate of lipid peroxidation, as determined by expired air pentane and ethane measurements, was assessed in suckled or fasted newborn rats exposed to air or hyperoxia (FIO2 > 0.95). Pentane and ethane production in suckled newborn rats did not significantly change with exposure to hyperoxia after birth. Pentane production averaged over a 3-day exposure period was 2.8 pmol/100 g/min in hyperoxia versus 2.5 pmol/100 g/min in air. However, significant increases in ethane production occurred in fasted newborn rats over the first 18 h of life (< 2.5 pmol/100 g/min increasing to >6 pmol/100 g/min), which were not observed in suckled animals. Although hyperoxia did not cause an increase in pentane or ethane production above air-exposed controls, nutritional deprivation in newborn rats appeared to accelerate lipid peroxidation events and resulted in high mortality in newborn rats exposed to hyperoxia.