PHOSPHOLIPID ANALYSIS OF ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES AND BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE FLUID FOLLOWING BLEOMYCIN ADMINISTRATION TO RABBITS

Changes in the lipid metabolism of the lung during pulmonary injury we re investigated by quantitative and qualitative analysis of phospholip ids in pulmonary surfactant and alveolar macrophages (AM) obtained fro m rabbits that had been given a single transtracheal injection of bleo mycin hydrochloride (BLM) 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days previously. BLM tr eatment increased the phospholipid content of both bronchoalveolar lav age (BAL) supernatant fluids and BAL cells. Furthermore, the proportio n of phosphatidylcholine (PC) showed an increase in BAL cells during t he development of pulmonary injury, and BLM treatment appeared to caus e transformation of AM to foamy AM. Lipid analyses of the foamy AM rev ealed that their phospholipid content was increased, and that the perc entage of PC with palmitic acid was elevated. Thus it appears that acc umulation of phospholipids derived from pulmonary surfactant contribut es to the increase in phospholipids and PC in BAL cells. These finding s indicate that BLM treatment produces an alteration in the amount and composition of AM phospholipids, and also in BAL supernatant fluids.