Experimental radiation pneumonitis. IV. Leakage of circulatory proteins onto the alveolar surface
We have previously shown that the fall in lung compliance in radiation pneumonitis is mainly due to abnormality of the alveolar surface lining layer and speculated that this, in turn, is due to an increased amount of protein in the alveolar lining fluid layer. In the present study, this extra protein has been partially characterized, and the kinetics of permeation from the blood to the lung and the AF have been investigated by using intravenously injected /sup 125/I-labeled albumin. Mice which had received 3000 rads to the thorax were used. A fourfold to fivefold increase in the total protein in AF obtained by pulmonary lavage was again found in mice irradiated 4 months previously, as compared to control littermates. With immunologic techniques and polyacrylamide disc-gel electrophoresis the excess protein in the alveolar lavage fluid was shown to be derived from the circulation. Following injection of /sup 125/I-labeled albumin into the tail vein, APR in the perfused, lavaged lung relative to radioactivity in simultaneously obtained blood rose to a plateau at 6 h which was approximately twice as high in irradiated mice as in controls. APR in the AF relative to that in simultaneously obtained blood rose rapidly and continued to rise throughout the period of study, reaching a level which was six times that in control mice at 24 h. A major abnormality in radiation pneumonitis appears to be a large increase in permeability of the capillary and alveolar membranes to both small and large protein molecules. These abnormalities are not acute terminal events but probably persist for some weeks before death. It is speculated that leakage of plasma proteins onto the alveolar surface is responsible for the fall in compliance of the AF lining layer in radiation pneumonitis.
- Research Organization:
- Veterans Administration Edward Hines, Jr. Medical Center, IL
- OSTI ID:
- 5407975
- Journal Information:
- J. Lab. Clin. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Lab. Clin. Med.; (United States) Vol. 95:1; ISSN JLCMA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BLOOD SERUM
BODY
DATA
DATA FORMS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE 125
IODINE ISOTOPES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOLATED VALUES
ISOTOPES
LEAKS
LUNGS
MAMMALS
MICE
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PNEUMONITIS
PROTEINS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
VERTEBRATES
X RADIATION