The effect of cytidine diphosphate choline on in vivo lung mechanics in premature newborn rabbits.

ABSTRACT

The influence of CDP-choline on neonatal lung adaptation was studied in premature rabbit neonates, delivered on day 28 of gestation. We found that the administration of CDP-choline (200 mg/kg body wt) at birth has a moderately beneficial effect on the respiratory frequency, dynamic lung compliance, and expiratory lung resistance. Since this effect was obtained within 60 min, and since the phospholipid content of the alveolar wash was similar on experimental and control animals, we concluded that the observed improvement in lung mechanics was probably not mediated by increased synthesis or release of surfactant phospholipids.