Experimental lung research
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Monocrotaline given to rats causes lung injury which is followed by pulmonary hypertension. A large, abnormal intraalveolar cell has been repeatedly observed. The purpose of the present study was to define the nature of the cell and to determine how it related to the lung injury. ⋯ When we reduced the number of circulating leukocytes by whole body radiation, monocrotaline administration was followed both by accelerated pulmonary hypertension and increased numbers of abnormal alveolar macrophages. The abnormal macrophage appeared to be a marker of the monocrotaline induced pulmonary hypertension. However, neither the abnormal macrophage nor the monocrotaline injury appeared to depend on circulating leukocytes.