Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Volume 161, Number 2, February 2000, 622-626

A Novel Diagnostic Method for Pulmonary Aspiration in a Murine Model
Immunocytochemical Staining of Milk Proteins in Alveolar Macrophages

OKAN ELIDEMIR, LELAND L. FAN, and GIUSEPPE N. COLASURDO

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, and Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas

Aspiration of foreign material into the lungs has been implicated in the etiology of a variety of pulmonary disorders. Although aspiration is a common clinical problem, its diagnosis represents a major challenge due to the lack of sensitive and/or specific tests. In this study, we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of a novel diagnostic method in a murine model of milk aspiration. Under light anesthesia, BALB/c mice received either single or repeated intranasal instillation of milk. Control animals received sterile physiologic saline or were infected with respiratory pathogens in a similar manner. After isolation and cannulation of the trachea, mouse lungs were lavaged with PBS at various time points after the last aspiration event. Cells were recovered for Oil Red O (ORO) staining as well as immunocytochemistry for milk proteins: -lactalbumin and -lactoglobulin. After single aspiration of milk, a large number of alveolar macrophages displayed a strong immunoreactivity for -lactalbumin for 2-96 h. After single and repeated aspiration, the percentage of positive cells for -lactalbumin was significantly higher when compared with ORO staining at 24, 48, and 72 h (p < 0.05). No immunoreactivity for milk proteins was found in alveolar macrophages obtained from our control groups. These findings demonstrate that immunocytochemical staining of milk proteins within alveolar macrophages represents a novel, sensitive, and specific test for the diagnosis of aspiration in a murine model. Elidemir O, Fan LL, Colasurdo GN. A novel diagnostic method for pulmonary aspiration in a murine model: immunocytochemical staining of milk proteins in alveolar macrophages.

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