Intrapulmonary terbutaline and aminophylline decrease lung liquid in fetal lambs.

To see if phosphodiesterase inhibition might enhance the effect of beta-adrenergic stimulation on fetal lung liquid secretion, we studied the independent and combined effects of intrapulmonary terbutaline and aminophylline on net production of lung luminal liquid over time (Jv) in fetal lambs with chronically placed tracheal loop catheters. We calculated Jv during baseline and experimental periods (90-120 min each) by measuring serial concentrations of 125I-albumin, an impermeant tracer that was well mixed in the luminal liquid. In 21 experiments, tracheal instillation of terbutaline (10(-5) M) decreased Jv from 11 +/- 1 (mean +/- SEM) to -3 +/- 2 mL/h. In six other studies, aminophylline (10(-3) M) alone had no significant effect on Jv. In 12 experiments, we gave the two drugs sequentially: terbutaline decreased Jv from 11 +/- 2 to -3 +/- 2 mL/h and aminophylline further decreased Jv to -8 +/- 2 mL/h. Amiloride (10(-4) M), an inhibitor of epithelial Na+ transport, reversed the combined effect of terbutaline and aminophylline, increasing Jv to 8 +/- 1 mL/h. Thus, phosphodiesterase inhibition enhances the beta-adrenergic effect of terbutaline on Na(+)-dependent absorption of liquid from the lung lumen of fetal lambs.