Lung clearance of aerosolized 99mTc erythromycin lactobionate in rabbits

In order to assess the lung clearance of aerosolized 99mTc Erythromycin Lactobionate (EL), 99mTc EL was administered to 9 New Zealand rabbits by inhalation. 5 rabbits inhaled cigarette smoke before 99mTc EL. Clearance half times were 3.0 +/- 0.9 hours in normals, 5.5 +/- 1.0 hours after smoke exposure. Clearance was not affected after destroying the surfactant layer. Slower clearance after smoke exposure may be due to the inhibition of mucociliary clearance. 99mTc EL can be considered as an alternative radioaerosol for ventilation imaging.