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Title: Cadmium-induced lung injury: cell kinetics and long-term effects

Journal Article · · Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.; (United States)

The effects of exposure to CdCl/sub 2/ aerosols followed by hyperoxia were studied in mouse lung. Special emphasis was placed on analysis of cell proliferation following injury. Male Balb/c mice were exposed to aerosols of 4.9 micrograms Cd/liter for 1 hr while controls were exposed to water aerosols. Immediately after, half of each group was placed in 80% O/sub 2/ for 6 days, while the rest were left in room air. Three endpoints were used to assess lung injury; measurement of hydroxyproline, (/sup 14/C)thymidine incorporation into DNA, and histopathology. Parenchymal and bronchiolar labeling indices were determined following autoradiography. A 1-hr exposure to CdCl/sub 2/ aerosols caused marked cell proliferation in the lung with the peak of cell labeling occurring at Day 5. In animals exposed to both CdCl/sub 2/ + 80% O/sub 2/, the cell labeling peak was delayed until Day 9. Cell differentiation studies showed a delay in the peak of type II epithelial cell and endothelial cell division when CdCl/sub 2/ exposure was followed by the 80% O/sub 2/ treatment. On Day 15 most of the labeled cells were identified as interstitial cells in both treated groups. Bronchiolar cell labeling was suppressed at the early time period in the Cd + O/sub 2/ group. With time, the histologically visible lung lesions tended to resolve in animals exposed to CdCl/sub 2/ or CdCl/sub 2/ and 80% O/sub 2/, whereas total pulmonary hydroxyproline remained at all times (3, 6, and 12 months) significantly higher in Cd-treated animals when compared to controls. It was concluded that acute lung injury by a toxic inhalant can be amplified if there is an initial delay in pulmonary cell proliferation following an acute insult.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
OSTI ID:
5014259
Journal Information:
Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.; (United States), Vol. 2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English