Abstract
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was produced in rats by the administration of corticosteroids and the permeability of the alveolar-capillary membrane was studied, using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as an ultrastructural marker. The alveolar-capillary membrane was impermeable to HRP at 4 weeks of corticosteroid treatment as well as in control rats. However, by 7 weeks, when the Type I pneumocyte started to show degenerative changes, HRP leaked through the capillary endothelium, indicating changes in the permeability of the alveolar-capillary membrane. We conclude that this increased permeability is the first change which triggers the subsequent degeneration of the Type I pneumocyte. The possible pathogenesis of this increased permeability of the alveolar-capillary membrane is discussed in relation to the organism's attachment to the alveolar epithelium.
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