Changes in Lamb-Lung Lipids During Gestation.

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Abstract
Summary Fourteen fetal lambs at various gestational ages were delivered by cesarean section with intact placental circulations. The saline extracts of lung sections obtained by surgical biopsy were studied for surface tension on a Wilhelmy balance, and lyophilized extracts were analyzed for lipid composition after separation on silicic acid columns and thin layer chromatography. Individual phos-pholipids were identified. The fatty acid composition of lecithin and neutral lipids was determined by gas chromatography. All lipid fractions increased toward the end of gestation. The greatest increase was in the lecithin fraction. The palmitic acid content in the lecithin fraction also increased toward the end of gestation. No consistent changes were observed in the fatty acids of the neutral lipids between mature and immature fetuses. The stability index also increased toward term. These qualitative and quantitative changes observed during gestation in fetal lung extracts suggest the differentiation of the lung, which is possibly due to the maturity of alveolar cells.

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