EFFECT OF TRANSPORTATION ON THE COMPOSITION OF BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGEFLUID OBTAINED FROM HORSES

Objective-To study the effects of extended transportation on the compo sition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) obtained from horses. An imals-30 horses (14 males, 16 females; 25 Thoroughbreds and 5 Thorough bred-Arabian crossbreds; 27 to 30 months old) without a history or cli nical signs of respiratory tract disease. Bronchoalveolar lavage was p erformed on nontransported control horses (groups 1 and 2) and transpo rted horses (group 3). Procedure-20 horses were used to determine the effect of 41 hours of transportation on the composition of BALF (group 3). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was analyzed for recovered volume, n umber and distribution of nucleated cells, total protein and phospholi pid concentrations, and phospholipid composition. Results-Total number of nucleated cells in BALF from group-3 horses increased by approxima tely fourfold after transportation. Total protein concentration in BAL F from group-3 horses also increased by approximately fivefold after t ransportation. Total phosphorus concentrations in group-3 horses decre ased significantly from time 0 to immediately after transportation. in group-3 horses, the most characteristic change in composition of BALF after transport was a significant decrease in the concentration of ph osphalidylglycerol. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance-The decrease in phosphatidylglycerol concentration in BALF after transportation indica tes a reduction in the quantity of surfactant. This change may reflect either a decreased production of surfactant by alveolar type II epith elial cells or an increased removal of surfactant from the alveolar re gion. It is likely that extended transportation resulted in a decrease d concentration of surfactant in BALF. Such a decrease may reduce the pulmonary defence mechanisms in the alveolar region, possibly resultin g in infection.