title: Technical considerations and precautions in in situ bronchoalveolar lavage and alveolar infiltrating cells isolation in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) is an important tool in experimental toxicology and pharmacology. A number of researchers have utilized BAL in studies involving rodents. However, the detailed procedure of performing BAL in rodents has rarely been reported. In the present article, in situ BAL in rats has been described with technical points that ensure the quality and validity of BALF samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  BAL was performed in rats of Wistar strain. Flow cytometry and microscopy were utilized to analyze the BAL cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The collected volume of BALF was 84.32 ± 2.7% of instilled volume. Alveolar macrophages were found to be prevalent in normal lungs when analyzed under microscope and by flow cytometry. The main problem that one may face is the accidental contamination of BALF samples with blood of the animal itself. Presence of blood in BALF certainly adds a significant number of cells and other biochemical variables. No blood contamination was detected in BALF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Here, a simple procedure for BAL and collection of alveolar cells (macrophages in the present study) is explained with an emphasis on technical steps and precautions, which ensures the quality of the BALF samples. Data exhibit that there is no blood contamination in the BALF and provide evidence that the technical points considered in the procedure here are successful in maintaining the quality and validity of BALF samples.
authors.affiliation: a Pharmacogenetics Unit, Central Laboratory , Research Center, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Wajhul
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qamar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage / Q000379:methods*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D002452:Cell Count; D002469:Cell Separation; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar; D008297:Male; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014116:Toxicology / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Alveolar macrophage; bronchoalveolar lavage; bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; pharmacology; rat; toxicology