117 - Ferret Lung Anatomy: Preliminary Tracheobronchial Branching 3D-model and Measurements Using µCT

Poster Board Number: 117
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Abstract Body : The ferret is a common animal model to study respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, influenza infection, and chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) after lung transplantation, as this species recapitulates human lung pathology in these diseases. In the ferret lung submucosal gland (SMG) containing cartilaginous bronchi are present throughout the early bifurcations and continues into the lobar segments. Like humans, the ferret proximal and distal airways contain goblet and club cells, respectively, and have a sneeze reflex. By contrast, mouse cartilage and SMGs are lacking in the intrapulmonary airway segments and club cells are the predominant secretory cell type through all airway levels. In addition, mice do not have a sneeze reflex. Knowledge of the ferret tracheobronchial tree (TBT) branching pattern and its anatomical measurements are currently unavailable but critical to understanding lung pathologies in this species. This preliminary study details the anatomy of the tracheobronchial branching patterns of ferret lungs and provides average lumen and bronchial segment measurements obtained from µCT. The branching pattern was generally consistent across all samples. Data indicate variability between individual specimens and include bronchial diameter differences associated with sexual dimorphism. Measures of body mass (g) and lung length (mm, apex to base) were highly correlated (r = 0.94) suggesting that lung length (mm) may serve as a proxy to normalize bronchial diameters across specimens. Using the averaged branching pattern and bronchial diameter data we will generate a normalized anatomical model of the ferret lung TBT. The normalized TBT 3D-model will inform future studies utilizing the ferret to interrogate respiratory diseases.