PATHOGENIC AND PATHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS OF PNEUMOCYSTIS PNEUMONIA IN RATS / 中国寄生虫学与寄生虫病杂志

ABSTRACT

In order to induce heavy Pneumocystis pneumonia, rats were treated with dexame-, thasone twice a week for 14 weeks. Mature cysts, immature cysts and ruptured cysts were, identified on lung imprints. By phase-contrast microscopy mature cysts were spherical in, shape containing intracystic bodies both spherical and irregular, small to large trophozoites having polymorphic shapes, one nucleus and many vacuoles. Elcctro-microscopically, large amount of irregular trophozoites adhered to the surface of the type I alveolar epithelial cells in the alveolar cavity were observed. The above histological findings were typical features of Pneumocystis pneumonia (Figs. 1-8).