• Timothy J M Moss, Ilias Nitsos, Machiko Ikegami, Alan H Jobe, and John P Newnham.
• School of Women's and Infants' Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. tmoss@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
• Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 2005 Apr 1; 192 (4): 1179-86.

ObjectivePrenatal Ureaplasma spp exposure is associated with preterm birth and modulates the neonates' susceptibility to respiratory distress syndrome and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. We hypothesized that intra-amniotic ureaplasmas would cause lung inflammation and alter fetal lung development.Study DesignPregnant ewes bearing singleton fetuses were given an intra-amniotic injection of 20 x 10 6 CFUs of U parvum (serovar 3) or vehicle, either 1, 3, 6, or 10 weeks before the delivery of preterm lambs at 124 days of gestation (n = 4-10 per group) for evaluation of inflammation and fetal lung maturation.ResultsUreaplasmas were recovered from amniotic and fetal lung fluids after intra-amniotic injection. Body weight and umbilical arterial pH were reduced by Ureaplasma exposure for 10 weeks ( P < .05). Ureaplasmas caused progressive lung inflammation and improvements in lung function that were associated with increased surfactant lipids (control, 0.13 +/- 0.02 micromol/kg; 10 weeks of Ureaplasma exposure, 7.43 +/- 3.0 micromol/kg; P < .001) and surfactant protein messenger RNA expression.ConclusionLong-term exposure to ureaplasmas in amniotic fluid alters ovine fetal development.

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