Phospholipid analysis of alveolar macrophages and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid following bleomycin administration to rabbits.

Changes in the lipid metabolism of the lung during pulmonary injury were investigated by quantitative and qualitative analysis of phospholipids in pulmonary surfactant and alveolar macrophages (AM) obtained from rabbits that had been given a single transtracheal injection of bleomycin hydrochloride (BLM) 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days previously. BLM treatment increased the phospholipid content of both bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) supernatant fluids and BAL cells. Furthermore, the proportion of phosphatidylcholine (PC) showed an increase in BAL cells during the development of pulmonary injury, and BLM treatment appeared to cause transformation of AM to foamy AM. Lipid analyses of the foamy AM revealed that their phospholipid content was increased, and that the percentage of PC with palmitic acid was elevated. Thus it appears that accumulation of phospholipids derived from pulmonary surfactant contributes to the increase in phospholipids and PC in BAL cells. These findings indicate that BLM treatment produces an alteration in the amount and composition of AM phospholipids, and also in BAL supernatant fluids.