title: [The role of alveolar macrophages in airway remodeling in asthmatic rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the role of alveolar macrophages (AM) in the processes of airway remodeling in asthmatic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight young male Sprague-Dawley rats (Grade II) were divided randomly into a control group (A group), a 3 day asthma group (B group), a 14 day asthma group (C group) and a 30 day asthma group (D group). The rats were sensitized and challenged by ovalbumin to establish the asthmatic model. AM were purified from bronchoalveolar lavage. The content of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in AM was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) by radioimmunoassay, matrix metalloproteinase-9 mRNA (MMP-9 mRNA) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 mRNA (TIMP-1 mRNA) by hybridization in situ. The total bronchial wall area (WAt) and the smooth muscle area (WAm) were measured by image analysis system. The WAt and the WAm were quantified per unit length of basement membrane (Pbm).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The bronchial wall thickness and the smooth muscle thickness of D group [(85 +/- 9) microm2/microm, (28.6 +/- 4.9) microm2/microm] were significantly higher than those of A group [(67 +/- 10) microm2/microm, (16.8 +/- 2.4) microm2/microm, t = 2.938, 3.227, all P < 0.01]. The contents of TNF-alpha and PGE2 in D group [(0.68 +/- 0.25) microg/L, (0.122 +/- 0.030) microg/L] were significantly higher than those in A group [(0.37 +/- 0.09) microg/L, (0.079 +/- 0.018) microg/L, t = 2.683, 3.016, all P < 0.01]. When A group was compared with B group [(0.74 +/- 0.29) microg/L, (0.120 +/- 0.028) microg/L] and C group [(0.71 +/- 0.23) microg/L, (0.117 +/- 0.028) microg/L], there was no significant difference (t = 1.624, 0.472, all P > 0.05) and (t = 0.935, 0.533, all P > 0.05). The contents (light density) of MMP-9 mRNA and TIMP-1 mRNA in D group (0.346 +/- 0.033, 0.361 +/- 0.040) were significantly higher than C group (0.279 +/- 0.015, 0.259 +/- 0.015, t = 2.574, 2.716, all P < 0.01), and so did D group and B group (0.183 +/- 0.025, 0.136 +/- 0.014, t = 2.913, 3.017, all P < 0.01), D group and A group (0.104 +/- 0.007, 0.109 +/- 0.008, t = 3.632, 3.487, all P < 0.01). There were significant correlations between the contents of MMP-9 mRNA and WAt (r = 0.693, P < 0.01), between MMP-9 mRNA and WAm (r = 0.738, P < 0.01), between TIMP-1 mRNA and WAt (r = 0.823, P < 0.01), and between TIMP-1 mRNA and WAm (r = 0.876, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AM and AM-derived cytokines are associated with airway remodeling in asthmatic rats.
authors.affiliation: Affiliated Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325027, China.
authors.forename: Chuan-xia
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chang-chong
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yun-chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Meng-rong
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D056151:Airway Remodeling; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1