[Bronchioloalveolar metaplasia during experimental influenza in mice--histological and ultrastructural study]

Squamous and "adenomatous" metaplastic changes which developed in the lungs of mice during the healing phase of experimental influenza were studied by histology and electron microscopy. The squamous nests contained epithelial cells possessing bundles of tonfibrils and being similar to bronchial basal cells. The "adenomatous" cavities were lined, either by cells related to Clara cells or by basal type-cells, which underlined cells related to Clara cells. A local and transitory hyperplasia of type II pneumocytes occurred by the third week. Both kinds of metaplasia seemed to proceed from the bronchial or bronchiolar epithelium. The adenomatous cavities might partly result from progressive differentiation of squamous epithelial cells into cells of glandular type. A ten-month long histologic survey failed to exhibit carcinomatous transformation of metaplasia. Pleiomorphism of influenza regenerative metaplasia might arise from extensive and severe epithelial changes involving all levels of the lower respiratory tract. Such a long persistence of metaplastic changes remains unexplained.