Importance of the functional state of alveolar macrophages of the lungs for hygienic evaluation of protective reactions and cell damage due to atmospheric pollution.
Total number of cells, their viability and ability to adhesion were examined in surface alveolar macrophages isolated from rat livers after exposure to sulphur dioxide during 2, 4 and 6 weeks (0.05, 0.5, 1.0 and 5.0 mg/m3); to nitrogen oxide during 5, 8 and 15 hours, 28 and 56 days (19 mg/m3) and to carbon monoxide during 2, 28 and 56 days (0.01% or 10 MAC). In the experiment with exposure to sulphur dioxide, the activity of enzymes of varying localization in the macrophages - soluble in the cytoplasm (lactate dehydrogenase) and connected with subcellular structures - lysosomes (beta-galactosidase, beta-glucosidase and acid phosphatase) was tested by means of biochemical methods in parallel with cytological examinations. Low concentrations of various chemical contaminants of the atmospheric air (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide) have an unfavourable biological effect on rats, manifest in the impairment of local immunity, i.e., decreased number of alveolar macrophages, disturbance of their viability and reduced ability of the macrophages to adhesion. At the same time, sulphur dioxide induces enzyme disorganization in lactate dehydrogenase and in a number of lysosomal enzymes of the macrophages. These results serve as a basis for the recommendation of cytobiochemical methods of elaborating methodological approaches to the regulation of environmental factors. Alveolar macrophages as a constituent part of the mononuclear phagocytic system ensuring local non-specific and specific resistance of the organism form one of the most important cellular mechanisms of protection of the organism against the harmful effect of environmental factors including chemical contaminants of the atmospheric air (1, 2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000633:toxicity; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides / Q000633:toxicity; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000633:toxicity; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism; D001617:beta-Glucosidase / Q000378:metabolism
D000393:Air Pollutants; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D001617:beta-Glucosidase; D001616:beta-Galactosidase