Airway reactivity to sulfate and sulfuric acid aerosols in normal and asthmatic subjects

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00022470.1984.10465838· OSTI ID:6214376

Utell, M J; Morrow, P E; Hyde, R W

Recent epidemiologic studies have emphasized a relationship between alteration in lung function, respiratory symptoms in asthmatics, and elevated levels of sulfate air pollutants. In asthmatics, it has been reported that (1) the more acidic sulfate aerosols, sulfuric acid (H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/) and ammonium bisulfate (NH/sub 4/HSO/sub 4/), provoked the greatest changes in lung function and (2) a definite exposure-response relationship exists for H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ inhalation. To determine if sulfate aerosol exposure caused increased reactivity to a known bronchoconstrictor, normal and asthmatic subjects inhaled subthreshold doses of carbachol after the following sulfates: H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/, Nh/sub 4/HSO/sub 4/ and sodium bisulfate. A NaCl aerosol served as a control. Exposure times averaged 16 minutes with sulfate concentrations ranging from 100 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/ to 1000 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/. In normal subjects, prior inhalation of either 1000 ..mu../m/sup 3/ H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ or NH/sub 4/HSO/sub 4/ significantly potentiated the bronchoconstrictor action of carbachol on airway conductance compared to NaCl and carbachol or carbachol alone by t-tests. For the asthmatic group, prior inhalation of either 1000 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/ H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/, or 450 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/ H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ similarly enhanced the carbachol bronchoconstrictor effect compared to NaCl and carbachol. At the low 100 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/, no sulfates altered the effects of carbachol on pulmonary function. Although mean changes between the sulfate groups did not attain significance by an analysis of variance, it was found that the bronchoconstrictor action of carbachol was potentiated by the sulfate aerosols more or less in relation to their acidity.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Rochester School of Medicine, NY
• OSTI ID: 6214376
• Journal Information: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States) Vol. 34:9; ISSN JPCAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AMMONIUM SULFATES
ASTHMA
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
BODY
COLLOIDS
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
DRUGS
FUNCTIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INHALATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
INTAKE
LUNGS
ORGANS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PATIENTS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM SULFATES
SOLS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFURIC ACID
SYMPATHOMIMETICS