Ontogeny of antioxidant enzymes in the fetal lamb lung.

Pulmonary antioxidant enzyme ontogeny has been reported in species with a relatively short gestation such as hamsters, rats, rabbits, and guinea pigs. We examined the ontogeny of the antioxidant enzyme system together with the surfactant phospholipid disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) in fetal lamb lung (term is 148 days). Lung tissue from 36 fetuses with gestational ages ranging from 121 to 145 days were assayed for DSPC content and for the activities of three antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. Between 121 and 145 days gestation superoxide dismutase activity increased from 25 +/- 4 to 139 +/- 18 IU/mg DNA, catalase activity from 164 +/- 23 to 483 +/- 48 IU/mg DNA, glutathione peroxidase activity from 301 +/- 33 to 447 +/- 53 IU/mg DNA, and DSPC content from 0.48 +/- 0.04 to 1.61 +/- 0.11 mg/mg DNA. During the final 15-20% of gestation in the fetal lamb antioxidant enzyme activity rises sharply in parallel with the development of the surfactant system.