Changes of length of elastic fibers in rabbit lungs after smoke inhalation injury.
Pulmonary morphometry was determined in rabbit lungs after smoke inhalation. Twenty-four hours after injury, changes of the total lung volume (TLV) and the total length of all parenchymal elastic fibers (LT) were measured. Concomitant changes in arterial blood gas levels and pathomorphology of lung tissues were also studied. It was found that alveolar walls were broken and became thinner, and that alveoli were dilated. TLV was markedly increased and LT was markedly decreased as compared to normal lungs (P less than 0.05). These findings suggest that proteinases, especially elastase, released from phagocytes may play an important role in acute lung injury after smoke inhalation.
Xie
E F
EF
Burn Research Institute, Southwestern Hospital, Third Military Medical College, Chongqing.
Li
A
A
Yang
Z C
ZC
Jiang
K Y
KY
D000818:Animals; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D015208:Smoke Inhalation Injury / Q000473:pathology*