Castagnetti C, Mariella J, Serrazanetti G P, Grandis A, Merlo B, Fabbri M, Mari G
Veterinary Clinical Department, Obstetrics and Gynecology Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy.
Theriogenology. 2007 Jun;67(9):1455-62. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2007.02.013. Epub 2007 Apr 19.
The aim of this study was to gather useful new data for evaluation of lung maturity in the neonatal foal. Because equine neonatal intensive therapy is very expensive, a precocious diagnosis could help to express a prognosis and to offer a respiratory support early after birth, increasing the survival rate and reducing complications. Amniotic fluid was collected at parturition on n=18 mares. Lamellar bodies were isolated in the amniotic fluid and measured with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Furthermore two tests on amniotic fluid that are commonly used in humane medicine were utilized: lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio (L/S) and lamellar body count (LBC). L/S ratio was determined using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and, for the first time in equine amniotic fluid, with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). LBC was performed with an automated blood cell counter. The mean of the L/S ratio obtained in mature foals was 2.5 with TLC and 2.7 with HPLC. The mean LBC in the same group was 48x10(3)/microL. The Spearman's Rank correlation test found a significant correlation between TLC and Apgar score (R=0.66, p<0.01), between TLC and cord pH (R=0.65, p<0.05), between HPLC and Apgar score (R=0.63, p<0.01) and between cord pH and Apgar score (R=0.82, p<0.01). The Student's t-test did not found a significant difference between L/S ratio performed with TLC and with HPLC. These methods may be useful for evaluation of lung maturity in the equine species, but further studies on a large number of mature and premature foals are necessary to establish equine pulmonary maturity standards.
本研究的目的是收集有用的新数据，以评估新生马驹的肺成熟度。由于马的新生儿重症治疗费用非常昂贵，早熟诊断有助于给出预后判断，并在出生后尽早提供呼吸支持，从而提高存活率并减少并发症。在分娩时从n = 18匹母马收集羊水。在羊水中分离出板层小体，并用透射电子显微镜（TEM）进行测量。此外，还采用了两种在人类医学中常用的羊水检测方法：卵磷脂/鞘磷脂比值（L/S）和板层小体计数（LBC）。L/S比值使用薄层色谱法（TLC）测定，并且首次在马羊水中使用高效液相色谱法（HPLC）进行测定。LBC使用自动血细胞计数器进行检测。成熟马驹中通过TLC获得的L/S比值平均值为2.5，通过HPLC获得的平均值为2.7。同一组中的平均LBC为48×10³/μL。Spearman等级相关检验发现TLC与阿氏评分之间存在显著相关性（R = 0.66，p < 0.01），TLC与脐血pH值之间存在显著相关性（R = 0.65，p < 0.05），HPLC与阿氏评分之间存在显著相关性（R = 0.63，p < 0.01），脐血pH值与阿氏评分之间存在显著相关性（R = 0.82，p < 0.01）。学生t检验未发现TLC和HPLC测定的L/S比值之间存在显著差异。这些方法可能有助于评估马属动物的肺成熟度，但需要对大量成熟和早产马驹进行进一步研究，以建立马的肺成熟标准。
