Protein transfer in hyperoxic induced pleural effusion in the rat.

In order to study the kinetics and pathways of protein transfer in pleural effusion, rats with pleurisy associated with hyperoxic pulmonary edema were injected either intrapleurally or intravenously with tracers. 125I-Albumin was used to obtain quantitative data. Anti horseradish peroxidase used as a morphological tracer, allowed a precise localization of the pathways used for the transfer. It has been possible to demonstrate that, in this model, the pleural effusion is produced by a plasma exudation accumulated in the lung interstitium, transferred through the visceral pleura and resorbed by the lymphatics of the parietal costal and diaphragmatic pleurae.