Health effects of sulfur-related environmental air pollution: the pulmonary surfactant system is not disturbed by exposure to acidic sulfate and neutral sulfite aerosols.
The goal of this study was to assess the impact of long-term exposure to environmental sulfur-related aerosols on the biochemical and biophysical properties of lung surfactant. Eight Beagle dogs were housed under clean air conditions for 450 days, followed by an exposure period of 400 days to 0.36 mg/m3 of sulfite (16.5 h/d) and to 5.66 mg/m3 of sulfate (6 h/d) equivalent to a pulmonary hydrogen burden of 15 mumol/m3. Other dogs kept in clean air for the whole study period were additional controls. Serial bronchoalveolar lavages (BALs) were analyzed for total phospholipid concentration, content and ratio of a surfactant-rich large aggregate (LA) fraction and a small aggregate (SA) fraction, in vitro surface area cycling of LAs into SAs as a measure of alveolar extracellular pulmonary surfactant aggregate metabolism, and surface activity of native and lipid-extracted LA. No significant changes over time and no differences between the clean air period and the exposure period were observed. Thus, long-term environmental exposure of dogs to the sulfur-related air pollution tested does not lead to alterations in the amount, extracellular metabolism, or surface-active properties of pulmonary surfactant.
Griese
M
M
Lung Research Group, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. griese@pk-i.med.uni-muenchen.de
Winzinger
G
G
Schams
A
A
Josten
M
M
Ziesenis
A
A
Maier
K
K
D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013431:Sulfates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D013447:Sulfites / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D013997:Time Factors
D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D013431:Sulfates; D013447:Sulfites