Alveolar accumulation of fibronectin and hyaluronan precedes bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in the rat
The development of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats was studied over a period of 30 days after an intratracheal instillation of bleomycin. Fibronectin was visualized in histological sections and quantified in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and related to simultaneous measurements of hyaluronan, collagen and albumin in BALF and/or lung tissue extracts. An increase in BALF fibronect