Phosgene inhalation can induced
pulmonary edema formation. The purpose of this study was to investigate cell of apoptosis in
pulmonary edema mice induced by
phosgene. Fifty-two BALB/c mice were random divided into a negative group and a positive group with 26 mice in each. Mice were exposed for 5 min to air and
phosgene in the negative group and in the positive one, respectively. The dose of
phosgene was 539 ppm. After 4 h of exposure, all mice were anesthetized. Lungs were analyzed for
lung wet/dry weight ratio and pathological alternation. The method of isolation and culture of alveolar type II cells (ATII cells) was established to observe their apoptosis by electron microscope and flow cytometry. Apoptosis of lung cells was observed by
DNA gel electrophoresis and TUNEL. The
lung wet/dry weight ratio was significantly higher in the positive group (6.42 +/- 1.00) than in the negative group (4.25 +/- 0.47, p < 0.05). A large amount of fluid effusion was observed in the alveolus of mice induced by
phosgene. Alveolar type II cells were identified by
tannic acid staining and electron microscope. The apoptotic signs in alveolar type II cells, alveolar type I cells, eosinophils, macrophages, symphocytes, and ciliated cells were viewed under electron microscope in positive group. The ratio of apoptosis cells (40.26 +/- 7.74) in positive was higher than that (1.58 +/- 1.01, p < 0.001) in the negative group by flow cytometry.
DNA ladder alternation was seen through
DNA gel electrophoresis. Apoptosis of epithelia and vascular endothelia in lung were found by TUNEL. These results indicate that there is success in establishing a model of
pulmonary edema and method of isolation and culture of AT II cells in BALB/c mice.
Phosgene can induce apoptosis of cells in the lungs of BALB/c mice, and this indicates that
pulmonary edema is related to apoptosis of lung cells in mice, induced by
phosgene.