[An experimental pathological study of the effect of bronchiolitis on emphysema and cor pulmonale pathogenesis]

Nitric acid and elastase were injected into the tracheae of Wistar white rats and the effect of bronchiolitis on the pathogenesis of experimental emphysema and cor pulmonale was studied. The result showed that, although simple bronchiolitis and obstruction of the bronchioles produced no decisive effect on the development of emphysema, it aggravated the lesion and further induced pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale. Data also showed that when there was no bronchiolitis, blood gas, pulmonary artery pressure and right ventricular weight of the experimental rats would still be maintained within normal range even though emphysema was severe. The result indicates that although emphysema often goes together with chronic bronchitis clinically, cor pulmonale can be prevented if inflammation of the respiratory tract is effectively controlled.