Morphological changes in lungs of experimental animals after intratracheal introduction of nickel sulfate

Abstract

The peculiarities of lung pathology formation under influence of inhalation of partially soluble nickel combinations in workers, producing nickel by electrolyse, have not been studied enough for today. The aim of this study was to evaluate morphological changes in lungs of 180 experimental animals under influence of 1-, 3- and 6 -months exposure to nickel sulfate.

Morphological alterations in lung tissue after nickel sulfate exposition were characterized by development of lymphocyte-macrophage alveolitis with predominance of lymphocyte infiltration of stroma, septal oedema and an increase in alveolar macrophage count. 3-month nickel exposure led to enchancing prolifretive – granulomatous stroma reaction, appearence of emphysema, wide-spread dystelectasis and vasculitis. Lung tissue alterations were accompanied by inflammatory reactions in bronchi and bronchioli; severity of these reactions depends on exposure time and may vary from exudative to proliferative ranges ending in pronounced hyperplasia of local immune focuses.