Exposure to cyclic oxygen sufficient for development of oxygen-induced retinopathy does not induce bronchopulmonary dysplasia in rats.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy of prematurity affect premature infants exposed to supplemental oxygen. Susceptibility to oxygen-induced retinopathy in the rat is heritable, with inbred Dark Agouti (DA) rats being more susceptible than Fischer 344 (F344) rats. To establish if hyperoxic exposure sufficient to induce florid retinopathy would induce strain-specific lung changes, newborn DA and F344 rats were exposed to cyclic hyperoxia or room air for up to 18 days.