Lung injury in guinea pigs caused by multiple exposures to ultrafine zinc oxide: changes in pulmonary lavage fluid

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · J. Toxicol. Environ. Health; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/15287398809531188· OSTI ID:6698411

Conner, M W; Flood, W H; Rogers, A E; Amdur, M O

Metal oxide particles with diameters of less than 0.1 micron (ultrafine particles) are important products of fossil fuel combustion. Pulmonary lavage fluid was obtained from guinea pigs given 1, 2, or 3 consecutive, daily, 3-h, nose-only exposures to 0, 2.3, 5.9, or 12.1 mg/m3 of freshly generated zinc oxide (ZnO) particles with a projected area diameter of 0.05 micron. Exposure to ZnO at 5.9 or 12.1 mg/m3 was associated with increased protein, neutrophils, and activities of angiotensin-converting enzyme, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase in lavage fluid, and with histologic evidence of pulmonary damage characterized by centriacinar inflammation. The severity of inflammation, graded by the number of inflammatory foci per square centimeter of lung, correlated with the amount of protein and the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme and other enzymes in lavage fluid. These results indicate that analysis of pulmonary lavage fluid is a useful and sensitive method for quantitative evaluation of pulmonary damage caused by inhalation of low levels of ultrafine ZnO.

• Research Organization: Boston Univ. School of Medicine, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6698411
• Journal Information: J. Toxicol. Environ. Health; (United States), Journal Name: J. Toxicol. Environ. Health; (United States) Vol. 25:1; ISSN JTEHD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACID PHOSPHATASE
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
ELEMENTS
ENZYMES
ESTERASES
GUINEA PIGS
HEMIACETAL DEHYDROGENASES
HYDROLASES
LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE
LAVAGE
LEUKOCYTES
LUNGS
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
METALS
NEUTROPHILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
OXIDOREDUCTASES
PARTICLE SIZE
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PHOSPHATASES
PROTEINS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
SIZE
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES
ZINC