Irreversible bronchial goblet cell metaplasia in hamsters with elastase-induced panacinar emphysema.

A single intratracheal instillation of pancreatic elastase in hamsters induces a lesion resembling human panacinar emphysema. This paper reports the occurrence of irreversible goblet cell metaplasia in the bronchial epithelium of hamsters similarly exposed to elastase. The goblet cell change was dose related; a dose of 0.

The pathology of elastase-induced panacinar emphysema in hamsters.

A single dose of crystalline, porcine pancreatic elastase injected intratracheally into hamsters induces widespread alveolar enlargement with subpleural bullae. A uniformly severe lesion is consistently induced by 0-2 mg elastase per 100 g body weight and with negligible mortality. Compared with controls, which showed no lesion, elastase-damaged lungs show a highly significant (P less than or equal to 0-001) increase in alveolar size and a decrease in internal surface area.