Direct Intrabronchial Administration to Improve the Selective Agent Deposition Within the Mouse Lung

Intratracheal (IT) administration of experimental agents is an essential technique in murine models of diffuse lung diseases, such as bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. However, distribution of intratracheally-administered agents to the distal mouse lung is often asymmetric, with lung parenchymal concentrations increased in the smaller (but equally accessible) left lung of the mouse. Described in this report is a novel intrabronchial (IB) approach to cannulate the left and/or right lungs of living mice non-operatively. It is also demonstrated how this approach can be used to selectively administer agents to one lung or adapted (via dose-adjusted IB delivery) to improve the left-right symmetry of lung delivery of experimental agents, thereby improving models of diffuse lung disease such as bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.