Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia (May 2008)
Efeitos da azatioprina sobre a depuração mucociliar após secção e anastomose brônquica em um modelo experimental em ratos Effects of azathioprine on mucociliary clearance after bronchial section and anastomosis in a rat experimental model
Abstract
OBJETIVO: Avaliar os efeitos da azatioprina sobre o sistema mucociliar em um modelo de secção e anastomose brônquica em ratos. MÉTODOS: Trinta e seis ratos machos da raça Wistar-Furth foram submetidos à secção e anastomose brônquica esquerda e separados aleatoriamente em dois grupos para receberem solução salina ou azatioprina. Após 7, 15 e 30 dias de terapia, seis animais de cada grupo foram sacrificados, e foram realizadas as medidas da velocidade de transporte mucociliar in situ, da transportabilidade do muco in vitro e do ângulo de contato do muco nos brônquios direito (intacto) e esquerdo (seccionado). RESULTADOS: A velocidade de transporte mucociliar in situ foi significativamente menor nos brônquios seccionados do que nos brônquios intactos (p OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of azathioprine on the mucociliary system in a model of bronchial section and anastomosis in rats. METHODS: Thirty-six male Wistar-Furth rats were submitted to left bronchial section and anastomosis and divided into two groups to receive either saline solution or azathioprine. After 7, 15 and 30 days of treatment, six animals from each group were killed, after which in situ mucociliary transport velocity, in vitro mucus transportability, and contact angle of mucus in the right (intact) and left (sectioned) bronchi were measured. RESULTS: In situ mucociliary transport velocity was significantly lower in the sectioned bronchi than in the intact bronchi (p < 0.001). In situ mucociliary transport velocity was lower in the intact bronchi of the animals treated with azathioprine for 7 days (p < 0.05), and those bronchi presented full recovery after 30 days of treatment. The contact angle was higher in the mucus samples collected from the sectioned bronchi of the animals treated with saline solution for 30 days (p < 0.001), which is in accordance with the decreased in vitro mucus transportability observed in the same animals (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that, in the sectioned bronchi of rats, treatment with azathioprine causes only transitory impairment of mucociliary transport, whereas administration of saline solution impairs mucociliary transport for up to 30 days. In addition, azathioprine protects against alterations in mucus surface properties.
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