Disodium cromoglycate attenuates hypoxia induced enlargement of end-expiratory lung volume in rats.

Mechanism responsible for the enlargement of end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) induced by chronic hypoxia remains unclear. The fact that the increase in EELV persists after return to normoxia suggests involvement of morphological changes. Because hypoxia has been also shown to activate lung mast cells, we speculated that they could play in the mechanism increasing EELV similar role as in vessel remodeling in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH).

Isolation of rat lung mast cells for purposes of one-week cultivation using novel Percoll variant Percoll PLUS.

Prolonged cultivation of separated rat lung mast cells (LMC) in vitro is necessary to better investigate a possible role of LMC in different stages of tissue remodeling induced by hypoxia. Rat lung mast cells (LMC) were separated using a protocol including an improved proteolytic extraction and two subsequent density gradient separations on Ficoll-Paque PLUS and a new generation of Percoll, i.e.

Production of hydrogen peroxide by peritoneal macrophages from rats exposed to subacute and chronic hypoxia.

Hydrogen peroxide production was measured in non-elicited rat peritoneal macrophages using luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (LDCL). Isolated cells were activated by a chemotactic peptide (FMLP) or by a phorbol ester (PMA) or by the combination of both. A hundred-fold higher LDCL intensity was achieved with PMA relative to FMLP.