Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Journal of Industrial Medicine logoLink to British Journal of Industrial Medicine
. 1985 Mar;42(3):178–183. doi: 10.1136/oem.42.3.178

Recovery from paraquat pneumonitis.

J J Seidenfeld, R E Sobonya, J M Toyoshima
PMCID: PMC1007447  PMID: 3970883

Abstract

New Zealand white rabbits were evaluated for recovery from paraquat induced pneumonitis six weeks after the last exposure. The animals were exposed to a respirable aerosol of 100 ml distilled water or 250 mg paraquat in 100 ml distilled water. Blood gases, breathing frequency, and body weights were recorded before and at regular intervals after exposure. Groups included control and two paraquat exposures (separated by a five day interval). Morphometric and pathological measurements were made at death either three days or 42 days after the second exposure. The animals killed three days after the second exposure showed hypoxia, decreased breathing frequency, decreased body weight, increased A-aO2 gradient, decreased per cent macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, increased per cent neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, increased lung weight, and reduced lung volume compared with animals allowed to recover. None of these measures differed between control animals and animals allowed to recover, except that animals exposed to paraquat had significantly increased lung volume and lung weights. Pathological changes noted three days after two exposures were no longer found six weeks after exposure. It is concluded that rabbits exposed to paraquat aerosol develop a severe pneumonitis that resolves if exposure is stopped and recovery time is allowed; physiological abnormalities remain, however.

Full text

PDF
178

Images in this article

181Image
on p.181
182Image
on p.182
183Image
on p.183

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Block E. R. Potentiation of acute paraquat toxicity by vitamin E deficiency. Lung. 1979;156(3):195–203. doi: 10.1007/BF02714010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Butler C., 2nd, Kleinerman J. Paraquat in the rabbit. Br J Ind Med. 1971 Jan;28(1):67–71. doi: 10.1136/oem.28.1.67. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Crapo J. D., Tierney D. F. Superoxide dismutase and pulmonary oxygen toxicity. Am J Physiol. 1974 Jun;226(6):1401–1407. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1974.226.6.1401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Fairshter R. D., Wilson A. F. Paraquat poisoning: manifestations and therapy. Am J Med. 1975 Dec;59(6):751–753. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(75)90459-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fisher H. K., Clements J. A., Wright R. R. Enhancement of oxygen toxicity by the herbicide paraquat. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1973 Feb;107(2):246–252. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1973.107.2.246. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Frank L. Prolonged survival after paraquat. Role of the lung antioxidant enzyme systems. Biochem Pharmacol. 1981 Aug 15;30(16):2319–2324. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(81)90105-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gage J. C. Toxicity of paraquat and diquat aerosols generated by a size-selective cyclone: effect of particle size distribution. Br J Ind Med. 1968 Oct;25(4):304–314. doi: 10.1136/oem.25.4.304. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kimball R. E., Reddy K., Peirce T. H., Schwartz L. W., Mustafa M. G., Cross C. E. Oxygen toxicity: augmentation of antioxidant defense mechanisms in rat lung. Am J Physiol. 1976 May;230(5):1425–1431. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1976.230.5.1425. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MYRVIK Q., LEAKE E. S., FARISS B. Studies on pulmonary alveolar macrophages from the normal rabbit: a technique to procure them in a high state of purity. J Immunol. 1961 Feb;86:128–132. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Martin W. J., 2nd, Gadek J. E., Hunninghake G. W., Crystal R. G. Oxidant injury of lung parenchymal cells. J Clin Invest. 1981 Nov;68(5):1277–1288. doi: 10.1172/JCI110374. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Matkovics B., Barabás K., Szabo L., Berencsi G. In vivo study of the mechanism of protective effects of ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione in paraquat poisoning. Gen Pharmacol. 1980;11(5):455–461. doi: 10.1016/0306-3623(80)90032-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Montgomery M. R., Casey P. J., Valls A. A., Cosio M. G., Niewoehner D. E. Biochemical and morphological correlation of oxidant-induced pulmonary injury: low dose exposure to paraquat, oxygen, and ozone. Arch Environ Health. 1979 Nov-Dec;34(6):396–401. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1979.10667439. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Niewoehner D. E., Hoidal J. R. Lung fibrosis and emphysema: divergent responses to a common injury? Science. 1982 Jul 23;217(4557):359–360. doi: 10.1126/science.7089570. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Patterson C. E., Rhodes M. L. The effect of superoxide dismutase on paraquat mortality in mice and rats. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1982 Jan;62(1):65–72. doi: 10.1016/0041-008x(82)90102-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Popenoe D. Effects of paraquat aerosol on mouse lung. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1979 Jul;103(7):331–334. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Rhodes M. L., Zavala D. C., Brown D. Hypoxic protection in paraquat poisoning. Lab Invest. 1976 Nov;35(5):496–500. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Seidenfeld J. J., Wycoff D., Zavala D. C., Richerson H. B. Paraquat lung injury in rabbits. Br J Ind Med. 1978 Aug;35(3):245–257. doi: 10.1136/oem.35.3.245. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Smith P., Heath D., Kay J. M. The pathogenesis and structure of paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats. J Pathol. 1974 Oct;114(2):57–67. doi: 10.1002/path.1711140202. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Vízek M., Holusa R., Palecek F. Lung function in acute paraquat intoxication. Physiol Bohemoslov. 1975;24(6):559–563. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Industrial Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES