Suzuki S, Noda M, Abe Y, Sugita M, Ono S, Tanita T, Koike K, Fujimura S
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tohoku University, Sendai.
Nihon Kyobu Shikkan Gakkai Zasshi. 1997 Feb;35(2):167-72.
To study changes in Na+ and fluid transport that occur soon after irradiation of the thorax, we used fluid-filled isolated rat lungs. Irradiation 15 Gy of 60Co doubled the fluid absorption rate across the alveolar epithelium within 2 weeks, but fluid absorption had returned to the baseline values by 3 weeks after irradiation. The timing of this change in fluid absorption was parallel to the time course of Na+ escape across alveolar epithelium and the two correlated closely. These data suggest that a dysfunction of alveolar epithelial Na+ transport is involved in the development of pulmonary edema after irradiation of the thorax.
