Comparative analysis of two techniques for counting number of alveoli and measuring septal thickening in premature rabbits with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Abstract

Introduction: The “new” bronchopulmonary dysplasia is characterized by decreased alveolar septation and lung vascular development. Objectives: To compare manual and automatic counting of the number of alveoli and measurement of septal thickening in a program for image analysis. Methods: Preterm rabbits born on the 28th and 29th days of gestation were subjected to ambient air or oxygen for 11 days, randomized into four groups, AR28, O228 (FiO2 ≥ 95%), AR 29, O229 (FiO2 = 80%). The lungs were removed to count the number of alveoli and measure septal thickening. The program used for image analysis was Image-Pro Plus 4.5®. Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the manual and automatic methods of counting the number of alveoli and analyzing the septal thickening. (p<0.05). Conclusion: The data found in the histological analysis performed manually in the program corroborate what is reported in the literature on data for number of alveoli and septal thickening.