Corticosterone determination in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and its relationship to free and total plasma corticosterone
- DOI
- Language of the publication
- English
- Date
- 2018-12-05
- Type
- Article
- Author(s)
- Thomas, Jith
- Thomson, Errol M.
- Publisher
- Elsevier
Abstract
Endogenous glucocorticoids modulate airway and lung inflammation in various respiratory diseases and after exposure to airborne contaminants. Although bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) is commonly used to evaluate the inflammatory and immune response in the lungs, limited information is available on determination of endogenous glucocorticoid levels in BALF. Here we describe a simple method to determine corticosterone in BALF, and evaluate the relationship between BALF and plasma corticosterone.
Plain language summary
Health Canada is responsible for assessing and managing the health risks to Canadians posed by environmental contaminants. Stress hormones are involved in regulating lung inflammation during disease processes or in response to inhaling noxious substances. While stress hormones are routinely measured in blood, less is known about their levels in the lungs. Health Canada scientists developed a method to measure levels of the stress hormone corticosterone in the lungs. They found that corticosterone could be detected following extraction with the solvent ether, and that levels in the lungs correlated with levels in the blood. Analysis of corticosterone levels in the lungs will provide additional insight into processes underway in the lungs in disease states and following exposure to toxic substances. This method will be applied in studies examining effects of air pollutants on health in support of regulatory efforts.
Subject
- Health,
- Health and safety