title: Nitric acid-induced injury in the hamster lung.
abstract: Severe airway lesions can result following exposure to various pathogens or toxic gases and can show a variety of pathologic lesions including necrotizing bronchitis, bronchiolitis and bronchiectasis. The purpose of this study was to develop a chronic airway lesion in the hamster, a species recognized for its lack of endogenous pulmonary disease. We have successfully adapted a technique of inducing rabbit airway lesions with nitric acid to the hamster lung and have characterized the morphologic, morphometric and biochemical features of the model. Following a transorotracheal instillation of 0.5% HNO3 in saline, Syrian golden hamsters showed during a 60-day study period a spectrum of airway changes including acute bronchitis, acute bronchiolitis, obliterative bronchiolitis, bronchiolectasia and bronchiectasis. Morphometric changes in the HNO3-treated hamsters included decreased lung volumes and decreased internal surface areas. Biochemical changes showed increases in lung weight and in total collagen and elastin. The model is useful because a prolonged insult to the airways develops rapidly and persists over a long period of time, important features for investigations designed to study the effects of superimposed insults upon pre-existent airway lesions.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Coalson
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000473:pathology; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000473:pathology; D006224:Cricetinae; D004247:DNA; D004549:Elastin / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009566:Nitrates / Q000633:toxicity*; D017942:Nitric Acid; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D017942:Nitric Acid; D004247:DNA; D004549:Elastin