title: Relationship of silica and bacillus Calmette-Guerin exposures to humoral and cellular immune functions.
abstract: The consequences of silica preexposures were studied on subsequent bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) pulmonary infections. Silica had a variable effect on colonization by BCG depending on organ and number of BCG treatments. Silica preexposures resulted in increased numbers of free alveolar cells subsequent to BCG infections, with an initially rapid increase of neutrophils. Both silica and two BCG treatments were capable of decreasing the animals' splenic response to stimulations with Escherichia coli aerosols, and BCG greatly enhanced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in silica preexposed mice. 5'-Nucleotidase activity was depressed by both silica and BCG in pulmonary washout cells indicating that inhalation of these substances may have a stimulating effect on the alveolar macrophages.
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D012822:Silicon Dioxide