Apoptosis of ATII cells in mice induced by phosgene

Phosgene inhalation can induced pulmonary edema formation. The purpose of this study was to investigate cell of apoptosis in pulmonary edema mice induced by phosgene. Fifty-two BALB/c mice were random divided into a negative group and a positive group with 26 mice in each. Mice were exposed for 5 min to air and phosgene in the negative group and in the positive one, respectively. The dose of phosgene was 539 ppm. After 4 h of exposure, all mice were anesthetized. Lungs were analyzed for lung wet/dry weight ratio and pathological alternation. The method of isolation and culture of alveolar type II cells (ATII cells) was established to observe their apoptosis by electron microscope and flow cytometry. Apoptosis of lung cells was observed by DNA gel electrophoresis and TUNEL. The lung wet/dry weight ratio was significantly higher in the positive group (6.42 ± 1.00) than in the negative group (4.25 ± 0.47, p < 0.05). A large amount of fluid effusion was observed in the alveolus of mice induced by phosgene. Al...