Acute toxicity of lead particulates on pulmonary alveolar macrophages. Ultrastructural and microanalytical studies
Although it is well established that respiratory uptake of lead-containing particles plays a substantial role in the epidemiology of plumbism, relatively little is known about the role of the pulmonary alveolar macrophage in lead poisoning. An in vitro system was designed to investigate the effects of lead oxide particles of respirable size on the rabbit alveolar macrophage. The studies were concerned with the intracellular solubility of PbO and Pb/sub 3/O/sub 4/ and changes in fine structure attributable to lead toxicity. The distribution of phagocytosed lead and its intracellular reprecipitation complexes was established by electron microprobe analysis and secondary ion mass spectroscopy in conjunction with transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and backscatter imaging. It was found that Pb/sub 3/O/sub 4/, PbO and PbO-coated particles were ingested by the rabbit alveolar macrophages and that each of these lead oxide compounds produced similar damage to the fine structure of the cell. Swelling of the mitochondria, nuclear membrane, and endoplasmic reticulum was common, as well as were characteristic reprecipitation complexes of lead, phosphorous, and calcium within the nuclear heterochromatin and cytoplasm of the cell. The precipitation complexes were not seen in cells incubated with the particles if phagocytosis was blocked by 0.22-microns, membrane filters. It was concluded that phagocytosis of these lead oxide particles was necessary to produce the cytopathic changes. It is suggested that solubilization of lead from the ingested particles in phagosomes of macrophages results in the liberation of intracellular lead with the resultant formation of reprecipitation complexes.
- Research Organization:
- Department of Pathology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- OSTI ID:
- 6252246
- Journal Information:
- Lab. Invest.; (United States), Vol. 48:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
LEAD
TOXICITY
LEAD OXIDES
MACROPHAGES
ULTRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES
CELL MEMBRANES
ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM
LUNGS
METABOLISM
MITOCHONDRIA
PHAGOCYTOSIS
RABBITS
SENSITIVITY
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
BODY
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
ELEMENTS
LEAD COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
MEMBRANES
METALS
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
ORGANOIDS
ORGANS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHAGOCYTES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SOMATIC CELLS
VERTEBRATES
560305* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)