CHARACTERIZATION OF KI-67 EXPRESSION IN THE EPITHELIUM OF THE TRACHEA AND MAIN BRONCHI IN EXPERIMENTAL RATS
Keywords:
Expression; Proliferation Marker; Ki-67; Trachea; Main Bronchi; White Outbred Rats; Cell Proliferation; Localization; Inflammatory Processes.Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis represents a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder of connective tissue characterized by progressive damage primarily affecting peripheral (synovial) joints through symmetrical, progressive, erosive-destructive polyarthritis, with some cases demonstrating characteristic extra-articular manifestations. The experimental cohort comprised 30 outbred white rats aged four months (both sexes) with mean body weight 170.5 ± 9.1 g. All laboratory animals originated from a single vivarium source and were maintained under standardized conditions featuring relative humidity (50-60%), ambient temperature (19-22°C), and 12-hour light/dark cycles.Heterogeneous Ki-67 proliferation expression patterns in tracheobronchial tissues of experimental rheumatoid arthritis rats may reflect regional vascular perfusion variations across different tracheal and main bronchial segments.
