[Evaluation of fetal lung maturation in rabbits after giving carnitine and carnitine with betamethasone to pregnant rabbits].

Investigations were carried out on 24 pregnant white New Zealand rabbits and their 210 fetuses. Eight pregnant rabbits received intravenous injections of carnitine on the 25th, 26th and 27th day of pregnancy, in doses of 80 mg/kg/24 hours. Eight other pregnant rabbits were given carnitine in the same manner and betamethasone intramuscularly on the 25th and 26th day of pregnancy in doses of 0.1 mg/kg/24 hours. Eight control pregnant rabbits received intravenous and intramuscular injections of normal saline. In all the groups caesarean section was performed on the 28th day of pregnancy. The contents of lecithin and sphingomyelin in lung homogenates of fetuses and in amniotic fluid were determined by thin-layer chromatography. The lungs of the fetuses were subjected to morphological studies in light and in electron microscopes. The studies proved that carnitine given during pregnancy accelerated biochemical and morphological maturation of fetal rabbit lungs. However, administration of carnitine in combination with betamethasone does not provide better effect than the administration of carnitine alone.