ACUTE, SUBACUTE, AND CHRONIC HISTOLOGIC EFFECTS OF SIMULATED ASPIRATION OF A 0.7-PERCENT SUCRALFATE SUSPENSION IN RATS

Objective: To assess the acute (4-hr), subacute (7-day), and chronic ( al-day) effects of simulated aspiration of a 0.7% sucralfate suspensio n in rats. Design: Prospective, multigroup trial in which rats were ra ndomized to various simulated aspiration groups. Setting: Experimental animal laboratory. Subjects: Forty-five Sprague-Dawley rats. Interven tions: Simulated aspiration was induced by single, direct, tracheal in stillation of 2 mL/kg of either room air, sucralfate, or normal saline . Measurements and Main Results: Lung histologic changes were assessed using a quantitative numerical scoring scale. There was an increase i n bronchiolar inflammation in rats undergoing acute, simulated sucralf ate aspiration compared with controls. There were no significant diffe rences (p > .05) in any other features at any time interval studied (t wo-way analysis of variance). Conclusions: Even though significant inf lammatory airway lesions were produced in this acute model, these abno rmalities resolved without evidence of subacute or chronic histologic progression, It remains to be determined if this pattern is unique to this specific experimental model or if it can be extrapolated to criti cally ill patients.