Lung clearance of aerosolized Tc-99m erythromycin lactobionate in rabbits

In order to assess the lung clearance of aerosolized Tc-99m Erythromycin Lactobionate (EL), Tc-99m EL was administered to 9 New Zealand rabbits by inhalation. 5 rabbits inhaled cigarette smoke before Tc-99m EL. Clearance half times were 3.0 +/- 0.9 hours in normals, 5.5 +/- 1.0 hours after smoke exposure. Clearance was not affected after destroying the surfactant layer. Slower clearance after smoke exposure may be due to the inhibition of mucociliary clearance. Tc-99m EL can be considered as an alternative radioaerosol for ventilation imaging