[Pulmonary toxicity of bleomycin in the rabbit: histophysiological and anatomo-radiological correlations]

This work was made to study the eventual modifications of breathing pattern induced by an experimental interstitial fibrosis. In this aim, breathing pattern and lung radiology from 6 rabbits have been studied at different times (1, 3, 7, 15, 20, 45 days) after an intratracheal infusion of Bleomycin (7 U.kg-1). At the end of each observation period, a rabbit was killed and prepared for a pathologic study (light and electronic microscopy). Despite the early interstitial and alveolar radiologic syndrome, there is no significant modification of the breathing pattern. However the histologic study is in agreement with the radiologic pictures and reveals an early development of large exsudative injury with hyaline membranes, interstitial and alveolar oedema. The alterations trend to an interstitial diffuse fibrosis. The absence of correlations between the physiological and histological events is discussed.