Time course of changes in lung permeability and edema in the rat exposed to 100% oxygen.
 Rats were exposed to 100% oxygen for up to 60 h to determine early changes in lung permeability leading to the development of pulmonary edema.
 The time course of development of increased solute flux was assessed by the clearance of 99mTc-labeled diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (99mTc-DTPA) from the lung and the accumulation of 125I-labeled albumin (125I-albumin) in the lung.
 These end points were related to the development of pulmonary edema by the measurement of the wet-to-dry weight ratio of the lung and the weight of fluid in the pleural cavity.
 No significant changes occurred until 48 h of hyperoxia, when sharp increases in both indexes of lung permeability and wet-to-dry weight ratio occurred.
 By 60 h of exposure, pleural effusions had developed.
 The volume of this effusion was significantly correlated to both 99mTc-DTPA clearance and 125I-albumin flux.
