ROLE OF CELLULOSE IN WOOD DUST-INDUCED FIBROSING ALVEO-BRONCHIOLITIS IN RAT

Our experiments suggest that in the development of plant dust-induced fibrosing alveobronchiolitis-Scadding's fibrosing alveolitis-the cellu lose content of plant dusts has a decisive aetiological role. Namely, the wood dust (pine) and the cellulose induced morphologically identic al granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis, whereas the fibre-free ext ract of wood dust did not cause pathological changes in the lungs. The induction of H2O2 and superoxide anion production, shown in vitro in leucocytes, probably has an important role in the development of fibro sis.