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Query: UMLS:C0034069 (pulmonary fibrosis)
 7,050 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Alveolar and bronchiolar spaces in the lungs of cigarette smokers usually contain numerous macrophages with pigmented cytoplasmic granules. By electron microscopy the pigmentation appears to be due, at least in part, to increased numbers of lysosomes and phagolysosomes. Within these cytoplasmic organelles, structures are found which we designate "smokers' inclusions", since they are observed exclusively in the interstitial and alveolar macrophages of cigarette users. The inclusions have been referred to by other investigators as "needle-shaped" and "fiber-like". Since cross-sections of the structures are never seen in electron micrographs, a fiber or needle shape seems unlikely. On the other hand, thin sectioning techniques impart varying lengths to the inclusions, suggesting that they have a disc, or platelet, configuration. Surgically resected lung tissue from smokers and nonsmokers was digested in hot potassium hydroxide. Digestates contained varying numbers of hexagonal platelike particles which had features consistent with those of the aluminum silicate kaolinite, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometry confirmed the presence of these two elements. The origin of aluminum silicate inclusions in pulmonary macrophages has yet to be determined, although preliminary evidence strongly suggests that they are derived from inhaled tobacco smoke. The cytotoxicity of kaolinite in vitro and the possible role of aluminum silicate crystals in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis are discussed.
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PMID:Cytoplasmic inclusions in pulmonary macrophages of cigarette smokers. 16 18

A case of tobacco-associated pulmonary fibrosis, with the results of histological, ultrastructural, and spectrometric analysis is reported. Abnormalities of the alveolar macrophages, which are particularly affected by tobacco inhalation were found. The size of the macrophages was increased and many large, polymorphous inclusions, including fat vacuoles and granular deposits, which were either homogeneous or electron lucent vacuoles, were seen in the cytoplasm. A few laminar structures were observed. All of these lesions are frequently found in cigarette smokers. Still more interesting was the discovery of numerous fiber-, needle-, or laminar-like inclusions that varied in size from 0.2 to more than 2 mu. The digestions of the inclusions with potassium hydroxide confirmed the presence of various metals, such as sodium, magnesium, potassium, iron, sulfur, and especially, aluminum, and silicon; these last two elements correspond to the presence of kaolinite in the tissue, as has been previously described, and can be considered as evidence of the use of tobacco.
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PMID:Inorganic cytoplasmic inclusions in alveolar macrophages. The role of cigarette smoking. 20 46

Glycosaminoglycans are constituents of proteoglycans, which are integral components of lung connective tissue. Glycosaminoglycans not only provide structural support to organs, but also influence extracellular matrix assembly, cell adhesion, and cell proliferation. Changes in the metabolism of glycosaminoglycans have been noted in several pulmonary diseases, for example, pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema. We studied quantitative and qualitative changes of glycosaminoglycans in the lungs of rats exposed to a range of ozone levels (0, 0.12, 0.5, 1.0 parts per million) for 20 months. Glycosaminoglycans were isolated from dry-defatted lung tissues through successive digestions by pronase, papain, and 2 M sodium hydroxide. The glycosaminoglycans then were fractionated into individual components using high-performance liquid chromatography. The concentration of total glycosaminoglycans in the tissues varied from 1.5 to 4.2 micrograms of uronate/mg of dry-defatted tissue. Although wide variations in total glycosaminoglycan concentrations exist among individual animals within each exposure group, regression analyses of data indicate a monotonic and statistically significant decrease of total glycosaminoglycans after ozone exposure (p = 0.02). Among individual glycosaminoglycans, hyaluronan, chondroitin 4-sulfate, and chondroitin 6-sulfate levels decreased significantly (p < 0.001, p < 0.05, and p < 0.01, respectively) in animals exposed to ozone when compared with control animals. Heparan sulfate concentration exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) trend toward increase with increasing doses of ozone, but the difference in heparan sulfate concentration between ozone-exposed animals and control animals was not significant. Gel filtration studies of glycosaminoglycans in pooled samples indicated that the molecular size of hyaluronan in animals exposed to ozone was lower than it was in control animals. We noted differences in heparan sulfate's chemical properties and affinity to antithrombin III in ozone-exposed animals and control animals. Although these studies do not provide the mechanism responsible for the observed changes in the lung glycosaminoglycans in ozone-exposed animals, the observations indicate that inhalation of ozone for 20 months affects normal cellular metabolism of proteoglycans, which may contribute to the functional impairment of the lung.
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PMID:Consequences of prolonged inhalation of ozone on F344/N rats: collaborative studies. Part III: Effects on complex carbohydrates of lung connective tissue. 781 21