Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The American Journal of Pathology logoLink to The American Journal of Pathology
. 1978 Dec;93(3):667–680.

Pulmonary ultrastructure of the late aspects of human paraquat poisoning.

L C Dearden, R D Fairshter, D M McRae, W R Smith, F L Glauser, A F Wilson
PMCID: PMC2018348  PMID: 213978

Abstract

The pulmonary ultrastructure of the late aspects of a case of human paraquat poisoning is investigated and compared with normal human pulmonary ultrastructure. Alveoli in the paraquat patient are numerically reduced in comparison to the control. They are filled with edematous proteinaceous plasma-like fluid containing erythrocytes, macrophages, leukocytes, fibroblast-like cells, platelets, and fibrin. These alveoli are lined by granular pneumocytes. Interstitial areas in the paraquat patient are greatly expanded and there are no alveolar septums. Interstitial areas contain proteinaceous plasma-like material, collagen, fibrin, platelets, mature fibroblasts, plasma cells, many leukocytes, numerous erythrocytes, and capillaries. Capillary permeability seems to be enhanced in the paraquat patient either by vesicles forming transendothelial channels or pores or by disruption of endothelial cells.

Full text

PDF
667

Images in this article

677Figure 1
on p.677
677Figure 2
on p.677
679Figures 3-7
on p.679
680Figure 8
on p.680
680Figure 9
on p.680
680Figure 10
on p.680
680Figure 11
on p.680

Selected References

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

  1. Bullivant C. M. Accidental poisoning by paraquat: Report of two cases in man. Br Med J. 1966 May 21;1(5498):1272–1273. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5498.1272. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Campbell S. Death from paraquat in a child. Lancet. 1968 Jan 20;1(7534):144–144. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(68)92754-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Copland G. M., Kolín A., Shulman H. S. Fatal pulmonary intra-alveolar fibrosis after paraquat ingestion. N Engl J Med. 1974 Aug 8;291(6):290–292. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197408082910607. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dearden L. C., Glauser F. L., Smeltzer D. The effect of ethchlorvynol on pulmonary ultrastructure in dogs. Am J Pathol. 1977 Jun;87(3):525–536. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fairshter R. D., Rosen S. M., Smith W. R., Glauser F. L., McRae D. M., Wilson A. F. Paraquat poisoning: new aspects of therapy. Q J Med. 1976 Oct;45(180):551–565. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fennelly J. J., Gallagher J. T., Carroll R. T. Paraquat poisoning in a pregnant woman. Br Med J. 1968 Sep 21;3(5620):722–723. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5620.722. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gardiner T. H., Schanker L. S. Effect of paraquat-induced lung damage on permeability of rat lung to drugs. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1976 Feb;151(2):288–292. doi: 10.3181/00379727-151-39194. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Harley J. B., Grinspan S., Root R. K. Paraquat suicide in a young woman: results of therapy directed against the superoxide radical. Yale J Biol Med. 1977 Sep-Oct;50(5):481–488. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hayes J. A., Shiga A. Ultrastructural changes in pulmonary oedema produced experimentally with ammonium sulphate. J Pathol. 1970 Apr;100(4):281–286. doi: 10.1002/path.1711000407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Heath D., Moosavi H., Smith P. Ultrastructure of high altitude pulmonary oedema. Thorax. 1973 Nov;28(6):694–700. doi: 10.1136/thx.28.6.694. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Malone J. D., Carmody M., Keogh B., O'Dwyer W. F. Paraquat poisoning; a review of nineteen cases. J Ir Med Assoc. 1971 Feb 4;64(405):59–68. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Manktelow B. W. The loss of pulmonary surfactant in paraquat poisoning: a model for the study of the respiratory distress syndrome. Br J Exp Pathol. 1967 Jun;48(3):366–369. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Masterson J. G., Roche W. J. Another paraquat fatality. Br Med J. 1970 May 23;1(5707):482–482. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5707.482. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Matthew H., Logan A., Woodruff M. F., Heard B. Paraquat poisoning--lung transplantation. Br Med J. 1968 Sep 28;3(5621):759–763. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5621.759. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Oreopoulos D. G., Soyannwo M. A., Sinniah R., Fenton S. S., Bruce J. H., McGeown M. G. Acute renal failure in case of Paraquat poisoning. Br Med J. 1968 Mar 23;1(5594):749–750. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5594.749. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Schneeberger-Keeley E. E., Karnovsky M. J. The ultrastructural basis of alveolar-capillary membrane permeability to peroxidase used as a tracer. J Cell Biol. 1968 Jun;37(3):781–793. doi: 10.1083/jcb.37.3.781. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Simionescu N., Palade G. E. Dextrans and glycogens as particulate tracers for studying capillary permeability. J Cell Biol. 1971 Sep;50(3):616–624. doi: 10.1083/jcb.50.3.616. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Simionescu N., Siminoescu M., Palade G. E. Permeability of muscle capillaries to small heme-peptides. Evidence for the existence of patent transendothelial channels. J Cell Biol. 1975 Mar;64(3):586–607. doi: 10.1083/jcb.64.3.586. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Simionescu N., Simionescu M., Palade G. E. Structural basis of permeability in sequential segments of the microvasculature of the diaphragm. II. Pathways followed by microperoxidase across the endothelium. Microvasc Res. 1978 Jan;15(1):17–36. doi: 10.1016/0026-2862(78)90002-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. 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]
  21. Smith P., Heath D. Paraquat lung: a reappraisal. Thorax. 1974 Nov;29(6):643–653. doi: 10.1136/thx.29.6.643. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Smith W. R., Glauser F. L., Dearden L. C., Wells I. D., Novey H. S., McRae D. M., Reid J. S., Newcomb K. A. Deposits of immunoglobulin and complement in the pulmonary tissue of patients with "heroin lung". Chest. 1978 Apr;73(4):471–476. doi: 10.1378/chest.73.4.471. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Staub N. C., Nagano H., Pearce M. L. Pulmonary edema in dogs, especially the sequence of fluid accumulation in lungs. J Appl Physiol. 1967 Feb;22(2):227–240. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1967.22.2.227. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Szidon J. P., Pietra G. G., Fishman A. P. The alveolar-capillary membrane and pulmonary edema. N Engl J Med. 1972 Jun 1;286(22):1200–1204. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197206012862208. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Toner P. G., Vetters J. M., Spilg W. G., Harland W. A. Fine structure of the lung lesion in a case of paraquat poisoning. J Pathol. 1970 Nov;102(3):182–185. doi: 10.1002/path.1711020311. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Vijeyaratnam G. S., Corrin B. Experimental paraquat poisoning: a histological and electron-optical study of the changes in the lung. J Pathol. 1971 Feb;103(2):123–129. doi: 10.1002/path.1711030207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The American Journal of Pathology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Investigative Pathology

RESOURCES