Dehydration and Recovery of Free Alveolar Macrophages

Abstract

Rats fed dry chow diet were deprived of wafer for 24 or 48 hours. Free alveolar cells were recovered from the excised lungs by repeated instillation and recovery of saline. The number of cells per gram lung weight harvested from dehydrated rats was significantly below control values and was closely related to the duration of wafer deprivation and loss of body weight. This decrease in cell recovery was not primarily attributable to reduction in food intake which accompanies water deprivation, since rats allowed wafer but restricted to the same food intake did not show as significant a decrease as occurred with dehydration. Free alveolar cells are considered lung macrophages which are responsible for clearance of particulates and microorganisms reaching the deep lung tissue. These experiments indicate that dehydration may affect this important mechanism.