Pallid mice with genetic emphysema. Neutrophil elastase burden and elastin loss occur without alteration in the bronchoalveolar lavage cell population.

Abstract

The data reported in this paper suggest that emphysematous lesions in pallid mice are associated with a progressive increase of elastase in alveolar intestitium and with loss of lung elastin. Surprisingly, the number of neutrophils in BAL fluids does not increase with the increase of lung elastolytic burden. However, intracytoplasmic crystalloid inclusions related to collagen degradation were observed in pulmonary macrophages of pallid mice at the time of septal disruption. The presence of similar structures in alveolar macrophages from mice or other animal species may be indicative of connective tissue breakdown or remodeling of tissue collagen.