The aim of the studies presented in this thesis is to test potential treatment options in an animal model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). BPD is a chronic lung disease in very preterm infants... Show moreThe aim of the studies presented in this thesis is to test potential treatment options in an animal model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). BPD is a chronic lung disease in very preterm infants who were mechanically ventilated for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). BPD is characterized by an arrest in alveolar and vascular lung development, complicated by inflammation, abnormal coagulation, oxidative stress, and at later stages by pulmonary hypertension (PAH). The inflammatory process is one of the major players in experimental BPD and we explored the effect of phospohodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) inhibitors on this process. We investigated the effect of PDE4 inhibition on the cardiopulmonary aspect of experimental BPD. The arrest in alveolar development is currently lack effective therapy, therefore we explored the therapeutic potential on alveologenesis of apelin and PDE5 inhibitor sildenafil, both very potent pro-angiogenic and vasodilative agents. We investigated the therapeutic potential of stem cell therapy in an animal model of PAH by mimicking autologous MSC therapy. Our data warrant clinical investigation of sildenafil as a potential drug to prevent or treat PAH and RVH, and the arrest in lung development, which plays a pivotal role in poor outcome in the neonatal intensive care nursery. Show less