Alpha-Toxin Damages the Air-Blood Barrier of the Lung in a Rat Model of<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>-Induced Pneumonia

Abstract

We have shown that injury to alveolar epithelial type I cells may account, in part, for damage to the air-blood barrier of the lung in a rat model of Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia. We have also shown that alpha-toxin is an important cause of damage to the air-blood barrier; however, our data suggest that the toxin is not acting directly on alveolar type I cells.