Spontaneous In Vitro Release of Alveolar-Macrophage Cytokines after the Intratracheal Instillation of Bleomycin in Rats: Characterization and Kinetic Studies

The intratracheal administration of bleomycin in rats elicits an acute inflammatory response in the lung followed by the development of pulmonary fibrosis. The alveolar macrophage (AM) is a key effector cell involved in this process because of its potential to release a variety of hormonelike molecules (cytokines) that can modulate systemic responses as well as the local response of other lung cells including the interstitial fibroblast. In …