Table 1—

Morphometric parameters and cellularity in lung parenchyma

Analysis group	Normal areas	Alveolar collapse	PMN	MN	Total cells
1 week
Control	93.4±1.3	6.6±1.3	2.4±0.6	15.1±1.2	17.5±1.3
ALI+saline	63.7±2.4*	36.3±2.3*	48.5±2.9*	8.2±1.8*	56.7±3.3*
M-6h	78.3±0.6*^,#	21.7±0.6*^,#	9.3±0.4*^,#	16.6±0.4	26.0±1.7*^,#
M-24h	75.8±2.1*^,#	24.2±2.1*^,#	18.8±0.7*^,#	16.3±1.4	35.1±5.8*^,#
M-7D	79.1±1.2*^,#	20.9±1.1*^,#	16.1±0.6*^,#	12.4±0.7	28.5±2.1*^,#
3 weeks
Control	92.4±1.5	7.6±1.5	2.9±0.7	14.5±1.0	17.4±0.8
ALI+saline	64.2±3.2*	35.8±3.0*	45.1±2.9*	7.0±1.6*	52.0±4.2*
M-6h	75.7±1.3*^,#	24.2±1.3*^,#	8.4±0.5*^,#	14.0±1.0	22.4±1.4*
M-24h	75.5±2.3*^,#	24.5±2.30*^,#	17.3±0.6*^,#	16.7±2.1	33.9±1.5*
M-7D	76.4±1.6*^,#	23.6±1.4*^,#	14.6±0.7*^,#	12.2±0.7	26.9±0.6*
8 weeks
Control	93.9±1.3	6.1±1.3	2.2±0.9	14.3±2.5	16.6±2.6
ALI+saline	74.8±2.8*	25.1±2.8*^,¶	37.4±3.3*^,¶	7.3±1.3*	44.7±4.2*^,¶
M-6h	77.9±2.8*	22.1±2.7*	7.6±1.6*^,#	12.9±1.0	20.5±1.6*^,#
M-24h	80.5±2.5*	19.5±2.3*	9.0±0.6*^,#	10.9±1.4	19.9±1.3*
M-7D	80.4±0.8*	19.6±0.8*	10.0±1.6*^,#	8.1±0.7	18.1±2.2*

Data are presented as mean±sem %, with six lungs in each group and 10 random, non-coincident microscopic fields analysed in each lung. In the control group, saline was intratracheally instilled (0.05 mL), and the acute lung injury (ALI) mice received Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (10 µg). The ALI groups were treated with saline (0.1 mL i.v.) or methylprednisolone (M; 2 mg·kg⁻¹ i.v.) at 6 h, 24 h or daily (for 7 days (7D), beginning at day 1). All groups were analysed at 1, 3 and 8 weeks. PMN: polymorphonuclear cells; MN: mononuclear cells. *: p<0.05 compared with control; ^#: p<0.05 compared with ALI+saline at same time-point; ^¶: p<0.05 compared with ALI+saline at 1 week.