Use of transmission electron microscopy for studying airway remodeling in a chronic ovalbumin mice model of allergic asthma

Abstract

Asthma represents chronic inflammatory process of the airways followed by healing that may result in an altered structure referred to as airway remodeling. The mechanisms underlying airway remodeling remain unknown and so we need to know the minute structural details of the asthmatic airway before mining mechanisms. Histopathological and transmission electron microscopic studies were perfromed in chronic asthmatic murine lungs and they revealed the damage to bronchial epithelial cells, goblet cell metaplasia with mucus hypersecretion and cellular infiltration in perivascular and peribronchiolar areas. The infiltrated cells were composed mainly of eosinophils, lymphocytes and macrophages. There was a widening of intercellular spaces between bronchial epithelia especially at abluminal regions. Basement membranes were thickened and composed mainly of collagen. There were increased population of smooth muscle and fibroblast and in addition there were more numbers of mitohcondria in smooth muscle. This would help us to understand the human asthma in much better way.