Detection of Paracrine Factors in Oxidant Lung Injury

This report addressed the hypothesis that hypertrophy of the lung after oxidant injury with ozone or oxygen is due to local generation of lung-specific growth factors. Dr. Tanswell exposed rats to either 85% oxygen, 1 ppm ozone, or air for up to two weeks while samples of plasma, lung washings, and lung tissue were periodically collected. These samples were tested for their effect on the DNA synthesis of purified populations of three major lung cell types (pneumocyte, fibroblast, and endothelial cell) in culture. Test results indicating the presence of factors that enhance DNA synthesis were analyzed for associations with exposure condition, lung cell type, and time of tissue sampling.