Effect of the administration of prostaglandins (PGE2) in the early postnatal period on closure of the ductus arteriosus in the laboratory rat

Maintenance of a patent ductus arteriosus by means of prostaglandins enables the surgical correction of a congenital heart defect in infants to be postponed until a phase of development when the operation hazards are smaller. We investigated the pathophysiological consequences of this therapeutic measure in an experimental model in which E2 prostaglandin was administered to newborn laboratory rats. It was found that, physiologically, the ductus arteriosus (DA) closed progressively within 180 min after birth. The repeated administration of PGE2 (subcutaneously, 15 micrograms.kg-1 every 30 min from the 5th min after birth) blocked closure of the DA, which was still fully patent 300 min after birth. Histological tests showed no significant differences in the structure of the tunica media of the physiologically patent and the PGE2-treated DA. The results show that PGE2 also inhibit physiological closure of the DA in newborn rats. Long-term study of this pathophysiological process is at present impeded by the need for the continuous administration of prostaglandins.