Effects of epinephrine administration on epithelial ultrastructure of terminal bronchioles in rabbits
Abstract
In the experiment, the effect of intravenous administration of epinephrine on the ultrastructure of the epithelium of rabbits' terminal bronchioles was studied. Laboratory rabbits were injected with 10 mug of epinephrine per kg of body weight and the material for the electron microscopic examination was collected 5 and 20 minutes post exposure.
In both experimental groups, the cells of the epithelium of terminal bronchioles revealed signs of pathological alteration. The effect of epinephrine was concentrated to the secretory Clara cells, in which morphological signs of the liberation of their secretion were often recorded.
Nevertheless, statistically significant quantitative changes in the total proportion of epithelial cells or functional state of Clara cells were not ascertained.