AIRWAY EPITHELIAL DAMAGE-INDUCED BY SULFUR MUSTARD IN GUINEA-PIGS, EFFECTS OF GLUCOCORTICOIDS

Sulfur mustard (SM) represents a potential chemical warfare agent. In order to characterize SM-induced airway epithelial damage, we studied the effects of an intratracheal injection of 0.3 mg/kg of SM in guinea pigs, 5 h, 24 h, 14 days and 35 days after exposure, During the acute period, lesions prevailed in tracheal epithelium exhibiting intra-epi thelial blisters, inflammatory cell infiltration and columnar cell she dding with exposure of basal cells. Fourteen days after intoxication, tracheal epithelium appeared disorganized and showed a significant dec rease in height and cell density. Tracheal epithelium recovery was sti ll not complete even 35 days after SM-intoxication. At day 14, in SM-i ntoxicated guinea pigs treated with betamethasone from day 7 to day 14 , epithelium height, cell density and cell proliferation (evaluated by immunohistochemistry) were significantly increased compared to untrea ted guinea pigs. In conclusion, the lesions observed in SM-intoxicated guinea pigs seem to be in accordance with clinical human observations and are relevant to the study of airway epithelial damage induced by SM. This animal model could be used to illustrate tracheal epithelium regeneration mainly derived from basal cells and to show glucocorticoi d effects on airway epithelial recovery after chemical aggression.