The chronically furosemide-treated mouse as a possible ultrastructural model for cystic fibrosis.

The effect of chronic furosemide treatment on the structure of the secretory cells in the mouse pancreas was studied using electron microscopy. The number of the zymogen granules increased in the cytoplasm of acinar cells; they were more densely packed and had a less electron-dense appearance than the controls. Because these ultrastructural findings resemble the changes observed in exocrine glands of patients with cystic fibrosis, the chronic furosemide-treated mouse is proposed as an experimental model for this disease.