[The study of the lung accumulation of I-123 IMP by the broncho-alveolar lavage].

We studied the accumulated portion and the movement of I-123 IMP in the lung. Ten subjects were studied. They were four patients with fibrosing lung disease, two with lung cancer, and four with other lung disease. They underwent the broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) for the diagnosis of their disease. 1.5 mCi of I-123 IMP was injected into the ante-cubital vein. The BAL examination was carried out about 40 minutes after the injection of I-123 IMP. The subjects' blood was sampled at the same time. The total BAL liquid (BAL-T) was divided into the fluid component (BAL-F) and the cell component (BAL-C) by centrifugation. The radioactivities in BAL-T, BAL-F, BAL-C, and serum (B-S) were measured by the well-counter. The average of BAL-T/B-S, BAL-F/B-S and BAL-C/B-S were 6.86, 4.26 and 2.71 respectively. It was confirmed that I-123 IMP was transported from the pulmonary capillary to the alveolar space and was taken up by the alveolar cells. It was considered that the analysis of the I-123 IMP release from the lung showed not only the endothelial cell uptake function but also the interstitial and material cells' amine transport and uptake function.