Eosinophilia-induced vascular and airway remodeling and hyperresponsiveness in rat lungs

We evaluated the effects of pulmonary infiltration of eosinophils without exogenous activators on airway and vascular hyperresponsiveness to muscarinic challenge in the lungs of rats infected with Toxocara [correction of Toxicara] canis, the canine round worm. Bronchoalveolar lavage of infected lungs produced 4.26 x 10(7) cells with 85% eosinophils, 15% mononuclear cells, and essentially no neutrophils. Eosinophils were present in the air spaces and interstitial spaces surrounding airways and vessels. The smooth muscle thickness increased about fourfold in large airways and vessels, and medium and small vessels were muscularized in infected lungs. In the T. canis-infected lungs, baseline airway resistance increased 288%, total vascular resistance (RT) increased 202%, and capillary filtration coefficient increased 208% compared with uninfected control lungs. Lung compliance was 56% of control. The concentration of acetylcholine that produced 50% of maximal response was 18.4 times greater for airway resistance and 18.7 times greater for RT in uninfected controls than in infected lungs. Isoproterenol (10(-4) M) decreased RT and peak airway pressure by 21% in infected lungs but had no significant effect on controls. We conclude that pulmonary interstitial infiltrates of eosinophils cause airway and vascular remodeling and increase baseline resistances and muscarinic reactivities of airways and vessels in rat lungs infected with T. canis.