title: Recovery of alveolar macrophages from rhesus and cynomolgus macaques by lung lavage.
abstract: A lung lavage technique was developed to recover alveolar macrophages from rhesus and cynomolgus macaques. Sterile saline solution was injected through an endotracheal tube in anesthetized macaques; lung wash fluids containing leukocytes were withdrawn. The lung wash fluids from each animal routinely contained more than 16 x 10(6) leukocytes. The predominant cell type was the alveolar macrophage; lung wash fluids contained more than 53% and 80% alveolar macrophages from rhesus and cynomolgus macaques, respectively. Lung lavage was performed each week for 6 weeks in both species with no ill effects. This technique has many applications in the study of infection and of pulmonary defense mechanisms.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000882:Haplorhini; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008251:Macaca / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008252:Macaca fascicularis / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008264:Macrophages; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology*; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*