Table 1 Morphometric evaluation of C3H/HeJ and JF1/MsJ mouse lung

Number of mice

Age (weeks)

13

12–14

13

12–14

Fixed lung volume (μl)

1092 ± 123

735 ± 71

0.001

987 ± 54

667 ± 23

0.001

Mean chord length (Lcm) (μm)

74.3 ± 9.9

48.5 ± 5.5

0.002

69.2 ± 14.8

47.3 ± 2.0

0.011

Mean alveolar volume (10³/μm³)

61.1 ± 7.9

40.8 ± 5.9

0.01

71.5 ± 11.4

42.3 ± 7.0

0.007

Alveolar number density (10⁶/cm³ parenchyma)

10.2 ± 1.1

14.7 ± 2.0

0.005

8.8 ± 1.5

14.5 ± 2.2

0.001

Alveolar septum width (μm)

0.72 ± 0.07

0.66 ± 0.08

ns

0.82 ± 0.14

0.63 ± 0.11

0.005

Total number of alveoli (10⁶/both lungs)

9.2 ± 1.1

8.9 ± 1.7

ns

6.9 ± 1.4

8.2 ± 1.6

ns

Total alveolar surface area (cm²)

952 ± 88

957 ± 125

ns

847 ± 70

906 ± 102

ns

Elastin - collagen ratio

1.40 ± 0.3

1.95 ± 0.3

0.004

1.83 ± 0.3

2.12 ± 0.2

0.035

 Parenchymal volume (mm³)

933 ± 112

629 ± 72

0.001

849 ± 71

571 ± 28

0.001

 Non-parenchymal volume (mm³)

145 ± 33

98 ± 23

0.002

126 ± 22

78 ± 11

0.003

 Alveolar airspace volume (mm³)

574 ± 73

377 ± 53

0.001

514 ± 41

340 ± 21

0.001

 Alveolar duct airspace volume (mm³)

261 ± 32

167 ± 26

0.041

237 ± 28

155 ± 15

ns

 Alveolar septal volume (mm³)

69 ± 12

63 ± 5

ns

69 ± 11

58 ± 5

ns

 Total alveolar surface density (μm²/μm³)

0.10 ± 0.01

0.15 ± 0.01

ns

0.11 ± 0.01

0.16 ± 0.01

ns

 Alveolar epithelial type I cells (mm³)

19.5 ± 3.3

19.2 ± 3.2

ns

20,8 ± 4.02

15.5 ± 3.45

ns

 Alveolar epithelial type II cells (mm³)

6.0 ± 2.8

7.8 ± 4.6

ns

4.3 ± 1.5

6.5 ± 2.7

ns

 Capillary endothelial cells (mm³)

16.3 ± 3.7

13.6 ± 1.4

ns

15.8 ± 1.9

11.8 ± 2.5

ns

 Interstitial tissue (mm³)

22.7 ± 5.3

17.5 ± 2.1

ns

22.5 ± 4.5

19.3 ± 6.1

ns

 Total alveolar surface area (cm²)

952 ± 88

957 ± 125

ns

847 ± 70

906 ± 102

ns

 Alveolar epithelial type I cells (mm³/mm³)

28.2 ± 1.5

30.5 ± 4.2

ns

30.2 ± 2.1

27.23 ± 2.4

ns

 Alveolar epithelial type II cells (mm³/mm³)

9.0 ± 4.2

12.5 ± 6.7

ns

6.3 ± 3.4

10.9 ± 4.0

ns

 Capillary endothelial cells (mm³/mm³)

23.3 ± 2.3

21.7 ± 3.1

ns

22.8 ± 1.9

21.2 ± 2.5

ns

 Interstitial tissue (mm³/mm³)

32.9 ± 3.7

28.2 ± 2.6

ns

32.5 ± 3.0

33.2 ± 3.1

ns

 Collagen (mm³/mm³)

2.78 ± 0.49

2.63 ± 0.51

ns

3.02 ± 0.62

2.42 ± 0.41

ns

 Elastin (mm³/mm³)

3.87 ± 1.23

5.08 ± 1.06

ns

5.3 ± 1.55

5.08 ± 0.72

ns

Lung function

n = 4

n = 3

n-3

n-3

Total Lung capacity (TLC) (μl)

1425 ± 164

750 ± 50

<0.05

1467 ± 125

800 ± 82

<0.05

Compliance _air (μl/cm H₂0)

143 ± 5

36 ± 7

<0.05

130 ± 6

34 ± 6

<0.05

Compliance _saline (μl/cm H₂0)

306 ± 46

96 ± 13

<0.05

296 ± 37

107 ± 20

<0.05

Specific compliance _saline (μl/cm H₂0)

214 ± 15

128 ± 5

<0.05

202 ± 9

134 ± 23

<0.05

Compliance _saline/Compliance _air

2.2 ± 0.4

2.7 ± 0.1

<0.05

2.3 ± 0.2

3.2 ± 0.9

<0.05