A Kumar, RL Sorkness, MR Kaplan and RF Lemanske Jr
Department of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53792-3244, USA.

Viral bronchiolitis in human infants has been associated with persistent airway abnormalities, but not proven as a cause. Previously we observed some adult rats had airway obstruction and hyperresponsiveness following bronchiolitis at an early age. The purpose of this study was to determine, via serial measurements of lung mechanics, whether the postbronchiolitis airway obstruction was episodic or continuous, and to determine the magnitude and duration of glucocorticoid effects. Rats were either virus- (n = 14) or sham- inoculated (n = 8) at 3 wks of age. Lung mechanics were measured 6 times in each rat at postinoculation Weeks 11-18. Half the rats in each group were treated with dexamethasone for 3 d at Week 15. The virus group had higher lung resistance (p = 0.03) and lower dynamic compliance (p = 0.005) than control rats, with airway obstruction occurring in an episodic pattern. Dexamethasone treatment had a transient effect in postbronchiolitis rats; lung resistance normalized in Week 15 (p = 0.006), then returned to pretreatment levels by Weeks 16-18. We conclude that viral bronchiolitis in rats can result in a chronic syndrome of intermittent, reversible airway obstruction which has multiple parallels with human asthma over a prolonged time period.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. L. Sorkness, K. M. Herricks, R. J. Szakaly, R. F. Lemanske Jr, and L. A. Rosenthal Altered allergen-induced eosinophil trafficking and physiological dysfunction in airways with preexisting virus-induced injury Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, January 1, 2007; 292(1): L85 - L91. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. C. Copenhaver, J. E. Gern, Z. Li, P. A. Shult, L. A. Rosenthal, L. D. Mikus, C. J. Kirk, K. A. Roberg, E. L. Anderson, C. J. Tisler, et al. Cytokine Response Patterns, Exposure to Viruses, and Respiratory Infections in the First Year of Life Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., July 15, 2004; 170(2): 175 - 180. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. A. Rosenthal, L. D. Mikus, A. Tuffaha, A. G. Mosser, R. L. Sorkness, and R. F. Lemanske Jr. Attenuated Innate Mechanisms of Interferon-{gamma} Production in Rats Susceptible to Postviral Airway Dysfunction Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., May 1, 2004; 30(5): 702 - 709. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. L. Sorkness and A. Tuffaha Contribution of airway closure to chronic postbronchiolitis airway dysfunction in rats J Appl Physiol, March 1, 2004; 96(3): 904 - 910. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Cai and W. L. Castleman Early high expression of IP-10 in F344 rats resistant to Sendai virus-induced airway injury Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, December 1, 2003; 285(6): L1263 - L1269. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. D. Mikus, L. A. Rosenthal, R. L. Sorkness, and R. F. Lemanske Jr. Reduced Interferon-{gamma} Secretion by Natural Killer Cells from Rats Susceptible to Postviral Chronic Airway Dysfunction Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., January 1, 2001; 24(1): 74 - 82. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				P. J. M. OPENSHAW and C. HEWITT Protective and Harmful Effects of Viral Infections in Childhood on Wheezing Disorders and Asthma Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., August 1, 2000; 162(2): S40 - 43. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Castro, D. D. Chaplin, M. J. Walter, and M. J. Holtzman Could Asthma Be Worsened by Stimulating the T-helper Type 1 Immune Response? Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., February 1, 2000; 22(2): 143 - 146. [Full Text]

				A. E. Varner, R. L. Sorkness, A. Kumar, M. R. Kaplan, and R. F. Lemanske Jr. Serial segmental bronchoalveolar lavage in individual rats J Appl Physiol, September 1, 1999; 87(3): 1230 - 1233. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. L. SORKNESS, W. L. CASTLEMAN, A. KUMAR, M. R. KAPLAN, and R. F. LEMANSKE Jr. Prevention of Chronic Postbronchiolitis Airway Sequelae with IFN-gamma Treatment in Rats Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., August 1, 1999; 160(2): 705 - 710. [Abstract] [Full Text]