Analysis of airway secretions in a model of sulfur dioxide induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

  • Hypersecretion and chronic phlegm are major symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but animal models of COPD with a defined functional hypersecretion have not been established so far. To identify an animal model of combined morphological signs of airway inflammation and functional hypersecretion, rats were continuously exposed to different levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2, 5 ppm, 10 ppm, 20 ppm, 40 ppm, 80 ppm) for 3 (short-term) or 20–25 (long-term) days. Histology revealed a dose-dependent increase in edema formation and inflammatory cell infiltration in short-term-exposed animals. The submucosal edema was replaced by fibrosis after long-term-exposure. The basal secretory activity was only significantly increased in the 20 ppm group. Also, stimulated secretion was significantly increased only after exposure to 20 ppm. BrdU-assays and AgNOR-analysis demonstrated cellular metaplasia and glandular hypertrophy rather than hyperplasia as the underlying morphological correlate of the hypersecretion. In summary, SO2-exposure can lead to characteristic airway remodeling and changes in mucus secretion in rats. As only long-term exposure to 20 ppm leads to a combination of hypersecretion and airway inflammation, only this mode of exposure should be used to mimic human COPD. Concentrations less or higher than 20 ppm or short term exposure do not induce the respiratory symptom of hypersecretion. The present model may be used to characterize the effects of new compounds on mucus secretion in the background of experimental COPD.

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Metadaten
Author:Ulrich WagnerORCiD, Petra Staats, Hans-Christoph Fehmann, Axel Fischer, Tobias WelteORCiDGND, Jan David Alexander GronebergORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-256551
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-6673-1-12
ISSN:1745-6673
Pubmed Id:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16759388
Parent Title (English):Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology
Publisher:BioMed Central
Place of publication:London
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2006/06/07
Date of first Publication:2006/06/07
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2012/08/24
Volume:1
Issue:12
Page Number:10
HeBIS-PPN:357884671
Institutes:Medizin / Medizin
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung 3.0