Interspecies comparisons of particle deposition and mucociliary clearance in tracheobronchial airways

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · J. Toxicol. Environ. Health; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/15287398409530509· OSTI ID:6219512

Lippmann, M; Schlesinger, R B

Inhaled insoluble particles that deposit along normal healthy tracheobronchial airways of humans and other mammals are transported on the proximally moving mucous lining to the larynx, where they are swallowed. The transit time from the most distal ciliated airways varies from 0.1 to 1 d, with each individual having a relatively constant, characteristic time. The exact time course of clearance depends on the distributions of both particle deposition and mucus velocities along the airways. As compared to commonly used experimental animals, humans have larger lungs and a more symmetric upper bronchial airway branching pattern. In addition, humans do considerable oral breathing, thus bypassing the effective air cleaning capability of the nasal airways. These differences contribute to a greater amount of upper bronchial airway particle deposition in humans, as well as to greater concentrations of deposition on localized surfaces near airway bifurcations. Airborne irritants that deposit in small ciliated airways may produce marked changes in mucociliary transport. Such materials include cigarette smoke, submicrometer-sized sulfuric acid mist, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone. For cigarette smoke and sulfuric acid, which have been studied for transient effects following single brief exposures in animals, both of these irritants produce persistant alterations in clearance rates and airway morphometry. Studies of the effects of ozone on mucociliary clearance have, up to now, been limited to tests of the responses of rats to single exposures. The similarities between the known effects of various irritants suggests a nonspecific response.

• Research Organization: New York Univ. Medical Center, New York
• OSTI ID: 6219512
• Journal Information: J. Toxicol. Environ. Health; (United States), Journal Name: J. Toxicol. Environ. Health; (United States) Vol. 13:2-3; ISSN JTEHD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY
CHALCOGENIDES
CLEARANCE
COLLOIDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DEPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
EXCRETION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
KINETICS
LABORATORY ANIMALS
LUNG CLEARANCE
MAMMALS
MAN
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PRIMATES
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SMOKES
SOLS
SULFURIC ACID
TOBACCO SMOKES
VERTEBRATES