Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 62, Issue 4 1430-1435, Copyright © 1987 by American Physiological Society
Lung mechanics and connective tissue proteins in diabetic Bio-Breeding/Worcester Wistar rats
H. Sahebjami and D. Denholm
We studied lungs of spontaneously diabetic Bio-Breeding/Worcester (BB/W)
Wistar rats which resemble human insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Compared with the age-matched control group, the body weight of the
diabetic rats tended to be smaller and lung wet and dry weight were
similar, but lung dry weight, relative to body weight and to lung wet
weight, was significantly larger. Both air and saline lung volumes were
reduced in the diabetic rats, and volume-pressure (V-P) curves expressed as
a percent of maximal lung volume were significantly shifted downward and to
the right of those in the control group over the midportion. Total DNA and
RNA contents were similar in both groups, whereas protein content and
concentration and protein/DNA and RNA/DNA ratios were significantly reduced
in the diabetic rats. In contrast, content and concentration of
4-hydroxy-L-proline, elastin, and crude connective tissue were
significantly higher in the diabetic group. We conclude that the increase
in connective tissue proteins in the BB/W rats is most likely responsible
for the shift in the V-P curves.
