title: Epidermal growth factor-like activity in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in experimental silicosis.
abstract: We investigated whether development of pulmonary fibrosis following inhalational exposure of mice to silica (quartz) dust was accompanied by enhanced secretion of activity resembling epidermal growth factor (EGF). Mitogenic activity for pulmonary fibroblasts was assessed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) using a serum-free bioassay. Activity in BALF from mice exposed to nonfibrogenic titanium dioxide dust was comparable to that in BALF from normal animals. In contrast, mitogenic activity was significantly increased at 6 and 12 weeks after inhalation of silica particles, coinciding with the appearance of collagenised lesions in the lung. BALF from mice exposed to silica 6 weeks previously had significantly higher concentrations of growth factor(s) able to bind to EGF receptors on pulmonary fibroblasts. In parallel, macrophages within inflammatory lesions in the airspaces acquired immunoreactivity for EGF. The presence of an increased concentration of EGF-like growth factor(s) in BALF might constitute a marker of particle-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Velan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: O'Grady
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D012829:Silicosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
chemical_list: D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor