Alveolar cells in cyclophosphamide-induced lung injury. An ultrastructural
analysis of type II alveolar epithelial cells in situ
M. Sulkowska and S. Sulkowski
Department of Pathological Anatomy, University Medical
School of Bialystok, Poland
Offprint requests to: Dr. M.
Sulkowska, Department of Pathological Anatomy, University Medical School
of Bialystok, ul. Waszyngtona 13, PL 15-269 Bialystok 8, Poland
Summary. Recent studies have
brought rich evidence in favour of the significant contribution of the surfactant
system-forming structures to morphogenesis of many pulmonary disorders.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of intraperitoneal cyclophosphamide
administration on changes within this system.
The experiments used 40 Wistar rats, of 170g body weight.
The animals were divided into two experimental groups. Group I animals were
given cyclophosphamide (Endoxan-ASTA) in a single intraperitoneal dose of
150mg/1kg b.w./1ml PBS/. Group II (control) received 1ml PBS. All the animals
were sacrificed after 1, 3, 7 and 28 days following intraperitoneal cyclophosphamide
or PBS administration. Morphological examinations of pulmonary tissue were
based on ultrastructural analysis in the transmission electron microscope.
The study revealed that a single intraperitoneal cyclophosphamide
injection caused damage to all elements forming the surfactant system, particularly
to type II alveolar epithelial cells. Rebuilding processes in pulmonary
tissue, coexisting with destructive changes, occurred with a significant
contribution of type II alveolar epithelial cells. These cells are likely
to take an active part in pulmonary fibrosis processes observed after the
action of cyclophosphamide. Histol Histopathol 13, 13-20 (1998)
Key words: Lung, Type II pneumocyte,
Cyclo-phosphamide, Ultrastructure
DOI: 10.14670/HH-13.13
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