Table 2.
Effect of insulin on the inflammatory cells infiltration into the airways and lung parenchyma
| Control (non-diabetic) |
Diabetic | Diabetic +insulin |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| BALF (Cells × 106) | |||
| Mononuclears | 14.28 ± 0.58 | 7.11 ± 0.18 * | 13.08 ± 0.74 † |
| Neutrophils | 9.63 ± 0.43 | 0.94 ± 0.11 * | 9.51 ± 0.58 † |
| Eosinophils | 0.04 ± 0.02 | 0.02 ± 0.01 | 0.03 ± 0.01 |
| Perivascular (Cells/104 μm2) | |||
| Mononuclears | 74.54 ± 2.65 | 56.75 ± 1.72 * | 66.18 ± 2.15 † |
| Neutrophils | 26.97 ± 1.56 | 15.58 ± 1.46 * | 33.13 ± 3.75 † |
| Eosinophils | 0.40 ± 0.16 | 0.50 ± 0.15 | 0.35 ± 0.13 |
| Peribronchiolar (Cells/104 μm2) | |||
| Mononuclears | 75.38 ± 2.90 | 56.30 ± 1.79 * | 67.50 ± 3.10 † |
| Neutrophils | 27.63 ± 2.44 | 18.08 ± 1.79 * | 32.12 ± 3.23 † |
| Eosinophils | 0.46 ± 0.24 | 0.25 ± 0.11 | 0.35 ± 0.17 |
Rats were rendered diabetic by the injection of alloxan (42 mg/Kg, i.v.) 10 days before sensitization. In both non-diabetic and diabetic rats, active sensitization against ovalbumin (OA) was performed 14 days before OA intratracheal instillation. Insulin (NPH, 4 IU/rat, s.c.) was administered 2 hours before OA challenge. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was performed 6 hours thereafter (9 animals in each group). Morphometric analysis was made in the stained slides of lung tissue. Determinations were made in 3 randomly selected fields for the presence of cells in the perivascular (4 vessels/sample) and peribronchiolar (4 bronchi/sample) tissue (3 animals in each group). Values are means ± SEM. *P < 0.001 comparing diabetic with control (non-diabetic) rats. †P < 0.001 comparing insulin-treated vs non-treated diabetic rats.