Betamethasone hydrochloride

Betamethasone is a synthetic corticosteroid.¹ In vivo, betamethasone (5 mg/kg) reduces bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 activities, TNF-α levels, and neutrophil number in a mouse model of LPS-induced lung injury. Prenatal administration of betamethasone (0.1 mg/kg) improves neonatal lung function but decreases hippocampal and corpus callosum neuron density and induces motor function deficits in a rabbit model of late preterm birth.² It also extends gestational length in a rat model of preterm labor induced by high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1).³ Formulations containing betamethasone have been used in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions and prenatally to promote fetal lung maturation.

1.Corbel, M., Lagente, V., Théret, N., et al.Comparative effects of betamethasone, cyclosporin and nedocromil sodium in acute pulmonary inflammation and metalloproteinase activities in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from mice exposed to lipopolysaccharidePulm. Pharmacol. Ther.12(3)165-171(1999) 2.van der Merwe, J., van der Veeken, L., Inversetti, A., et al.Neurocognitive sequelae of antenatal corticosteroids in a late preterm rabbit modelAm. J. Obstet. Gynecol.226(6)850.e851-850.e821(2022) 3.Galaz, J., Romero, R., Arenas-Hernandez, M., et al.Betamethasone as a potential treatment for preterm birth associated with sterile intra-amniotic inflammation: A murine studyJ. Perinat. Med.49(7)897-906(2021)