We studied ventilation distribution using the single-breath washout technique in rats with two types of induced emphysema: panacinar-like (by instilled elastase) and centriacinar-like (by inhaled CdCl2 combined with oral intake of beta-aminopropionitrile). Morphologically, panacinar and centriacinar groups presented a similar degree of airspace enlargement, which was irregularly distributed and also accompanied by fibrosis only in the centriacinar group. In terms of mechanical properties, the centriacinar group presented lower end-expiratory flows and lower compliance than the panacinar group. The ventilation distribution patterns were also different between both groups. Single-breath washout phase III slopes, reflecting mainly diffusion-convection-dependent inhomogeneities in rat lungs, were largest in the centriacinar group. The SF6-He slope difference, which was reversed in both emphysema groups with respect to the control group, could be attributed mainly to He slope changes in the panacinar group and to SF6 slope changes in the centriacinar group. In addition, the respective He and SF6 slope decrease as a function of end-inspiratory breath-hold time, was only different from the control group in the centriacinar group. The observed ventilation distribution patterns can be explained by interacinar elastic changes in the panacinar group and severe interacinar structural alterations in the centriacinar group.

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This study investigated the effect of cigarette smoke exposure and the potential protection N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in rat lungs.Forty-eight rats were exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) for 10 weeks, without (CS group) or with (CS+NAC group) oral intake of NAC 200 mg . rat -1 . day -1 , or to fresh air (Control). All rat lungs were assessed in terms of lung function, ventilation distribution (nitrogen, helium and sulphur hexafluoride phase III slopes), and morphometry (airway wall thickening of small, medium and large bronchi).The small bronchi, defined as the airways with an internal perimeter <1,000 mm showed significantly thicker airway walls in the CS than in the Control group. By contrast, no airway wall thickening was observed in the CS+NAC group with respect to Control. Except for decreased lung volumes and compliance in CS and CS+NAC groups, which were entirely attributable to smaller body weight gain, lung function was indistinguishable from Control. Phase III slopes were significantly increased only in the CS group.In conclusion, smoke-induced alterations in the rat lungs were reflected in wall thickening of the small bronchi and increased ventilation maldistribution. These smoke-induced morphometric and ventilation distribution alterations were prevented by N-acetylcysteine. Eur Respir J 2000; 15: 505±511. In humans, a major site of inflammatory action of cigarette smoke has been attributed to the so-called small airways, stimulating a number of studies aimed at characterizing and detecting structural change in the lung periphery [1,2]. The phase III slope of the N 2 single breath washout (SBW) test became a popular index of small airways alteration since the work by COSIO et al. [3] showed its correlation with morphological scores of small airways abnormalities in smokers with normal spirometry. A later SBW study by VAN MUYLEM et al. [4], which included helium and sulphur hexafluoride tracer concentrations, also revealed distinct correlations between indices derived from He and SF 6 slopes and airway pathology scores. Due to the fact that the diffusion front is located more peripherally for SF 6 than for He, the respective phase III slopes are indicative of the site where ventilation inhomogeneities occur.Although animal studies are well-suited for the study of lung function in the diseased lung, the difficulty often resides in reproducing a lesion which is comparable to that encountered in the human lung [5]. Previous studies in rats have led to conflicting results as to whether the cigarette smoke induces emphysematous lesions [6,7] or not [8,9] and not all studies provide any information about the extent to which the nonalveolated airways are affected [10]. Despite these difficulties, rat lungs have been used to investigate the possible protective role of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) over cigarette smoke induced lesions. NAC is an antioxidant and can therefore be expected to change lung oxidant-antioxidant imbalance induced by cigarette smoke which is a source of oxidants. Previous histopathology...

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