A radioactive tracer technique to determine in Vivo the number of fibers in the lungs of rats followiong their administration by intratracheal instillation

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Environmental Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1006/enrs.1993.1139· OSTI ID:5478499

Morgan, A; Collier, C G; Morris, K J; Launder, K A ^[1]

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1. AEA Environment Energy, Harwell Lab., Oxfordshire (United Kingdom)

A radioactive tracer technique is described which enables the total number of fibers present in the lungs of rats to be estimated following administration of the fibers by intratracheal instillation. The glass fiber used in the study was irradiated with thermal neutrons to induce radioactive [sup 24]Na. A suspensions of the radioactive fiber was administered to eight rats by intratracheal instillation and to two additional rats by intraesophageal instillation, after which they were killed. The amounts of fiber in the lungs, in the gastrointestinal tracts, and excreted in feces were estimated radiometrically. On average 93% of the administered fiber was accounted for. The lungs were digested with sodium hypochlorite solution and aliquots of the resulting digest filtered through membrane filters which were clear for examination by phase-contrast optical microscopy (PCOM). The numbers of fibers in the lungs, estimated by PCOM, were well correlated with the in vivo counting rates at 48 hr, indicating that the latter can be used to provide an accurate index of the number of fibers retained in the lung at that time. 15 refs., 2 figs., 5 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 5478499
• Journal Information: Environmental Research; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Research; (United States) Vol. 63:2; ISSN ENVRAL; ISSN 0013-9351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550501* -- Metabolism-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ALKALI META
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BODY
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
FIBERS
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LUNGS
MILLISEC LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOMETRIC ANALYSIS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
SODIUM 24
SODIUM ISOTOPES
TRACER TECHNIQUES