Respiratory and pulmonary alterations in experimental Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in rats.
Pneumocystis carinii (P.c.) pneumonia was induced in 40 rats by a prolonged corticosteroid treatment (group 1); 40 healthy rats of equal weight constituted the control group (group 2); 9 rats received the same corticosteroid treatment as group 1, together with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SFZ) in order to prevent P.c. multiplication (group 3). We could distinguish the respiratory effects induced by corticosteroids from those caused by P.c. pneumonia (group 3 vs group 1). For six weeks the blood leukocyte count, the weight of the spleen and the thymus and the pulmonary status were monitored. Blood gases and acid-base status were measured in conscious rats. There was no pulmonary oedema. The infected P.c. rats had a low PaCO2 and a slight disturbance of blood oxygenation, exemplified by A-aDO2 of 30 mmHg, compared with 17.5 mmHg in control rats and 17 mmHg in TMP-SFZ treated rats. P.c. infected rats had a lymphocyte depletion induced by corticosteroids. They did not exhibit respiratory distress. P.c. pneumonia alone in rats did not cause frank hypoxemia.
D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium; D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D003348:Cortisone; D008168:Lung / Q000032:analysis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012119:Respiration; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
D014867:Water; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen; D003348:Cortisone