Changes of the Cellularities in the Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid of the Experimental Silicosis

흰쥐규폐증에서 기관지 폐포 세척액내 세포변화

Pneumconiosis is a sort of pulmonary fibrosis consequent to the inhalation of the respirable dusts. Thus, the pathogenesis of silicosis have concentrated largely on the early response of alveolar macrophage and the later fibroblastic stimulation. But the role of the other cells and continuing cell injury in the pathogenesis has not been fully studied. And the chemical factors such as prostaglandin, fibroblast stimulating factor and inhibiting factor and chemotaxin are also participated in the mechanism of pulmonary fibrosis in silicosis. In order to clarify the role of alveolar cells and prostaglandin, we investigated the changes of the cellularities in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and tissue pathology in the experimental silicosis with the time sequence. The experimental animals were divided into 3 groups; control group received only intratracheal injection of 0.5 ml saline, silica group received the intratracheal instillation of 40 mg silica with the same amount saline, and aspirin group received 450 mg/kg of aspirin after silica instillation. The results were as follows: 1) The total cells of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in the silica group markedly increased in comparison with the control group, but there was no significant difference between the silica and aspirin groups. 2) The percentages of alveolar macrophages to the total number of cells in the silica group tended to be lower than those in the control group and also lower than those in the aspirin group at the 1st week after silica instillation. 3) The percentages of neutrophils to the total number of cells in the silica group were significantly higher than those in the control group during the entire period and also higher than those in the aspirin group at the 3rd day after silica instillation. 4) In the silica group, the percentages of lymphocytes to the total number of cells were increased 143 progressively with the time course and those were significantly higher than those in the control group from the 3rd week after silica administration. There were marked differences of lymphocyte percentages between the silica and aspirin groups at the 1st week after silica instillation. 5) The inflammatory change was observed in the rat lung at the 1st day after silica instillation. Also the silicotic nodule appeared in the silica group at the 1st week but we could not find out that nodule in the aspirin group at that time. The fibrotic changes in the rat lung tended to be increased progressively with the time course, therefore, the diffuse fibrotic pattern appeared in the whole field at the 20th week after silica instillation. 6) By the electron microscopy, there were gradual increases of phagosomes and vacuoles in the alveolar macrophage in the silica group as compared with the control group. These results suggest that the neutrophils and the lymphocytes have also participated in the pulmonary fibrosis even though the alveolar macrophage has a major role, and prostaglandin mediate the inflammation and pulmanary fibrosis in the experimental silicosis.