Skip to main content
PMC home page
Environmental Health Perspectives logoLink to Environmental Health Perspectives
. 1997 Sep;105(Suppl 5):1279–1283. doi: 10.1289/ehp.97105s51279

In vivo and in vitro proinflammatory effects of particulate air pollution (PM10).

X Y Li 1, P S Gilmour 1, K Donaldson 1, W MacNee 1
PMCID: PMC1470161  PMID: 9400738

Abstract

Epidemiologic studies have reported associations between fine particulate air pollution, especially particles less than 10 mm in diameter (PM10), and the development of exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, the mechanism is unknown. We tested our hypothesis that PM10 induces oxidant stress, causing inflammation and injury to airway epithelium. We assessed the effects of intratracheal instillation of PM10 in rat lungs. The influx of inflammatory cells was measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Airspace epithelial permeability was assessed as total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in vivo. The oxidant properties of PM10 were determined by their ability to cause changes in reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG). We also compared the effects of PM10 with those of fine (CB) and ultrafine (ufCB) carbon black particles. Six hours after intratracheal instillation of PM10, we noted an influx of neutrophils (up to 15% of total BAL cells) in the alveolar space, increased epithelial permeability, an increase in total protein in BALF from 0.39 +/- 0.01 to 0.62 +/- 0.01 mg/ml (mean +/- SEM) and increased lactate dehydrogenase concentrations in BALF. An even greater inflammatory response was observed after intratracheal instillation of ufCB, but not after CB instillation. PM10 had oxidant activity in vivo, as shown by decreased GSH in BALF (from 0.36 +/- 0.05 to 0.25 +/- 0.01 nmol/ml) after instillation. BAL leukocytes from rats treated with PM10 produced greater amounts of nitric oxide, measured as nitrite (control 3.07 +/- 0.33, treated 4.45 +/- 0.23 mM/1 x 10(6) cells) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (control 21.0 +/- 3.1, treated 179.2 +/- 29.4 unit/1 x 10(6) cells) in culture than BAL leukocytes obtained from control animals. These studies provide evidence that PM10 has free radical activity and causes lung inflammation and epithelial injury. These data support our hypothesis concerning the mechanism for the adverse effects of particulate air pollution on patients with airway diseases.

Full text

PDF
1282

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Dalal N. S., Suryan M. M., Vallyathan V., Green F. H., Jafari B., Wheeler R. Detection of reactive free radicals in fresh coal mine dust and their implication for pulmonary injury. Ann Occup Hyg. 1989;33(1):79–84. doi: 10.1093/annhyg/33.1.79. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ding A. H., Nathan C. F., Stuehr D. J. Release of reactive nitrogen intermediates and reactive oxygen intermediates from mouse peritoneal macrophages. Comparison of activating cytokines and evidence for independent production. J Immunol. 1988 Oct 1;141(7):2407–2412. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Driscoll K. E., Lindenschmidt R. C., Maurer J. K., Higgins J. M., Ridder G. Pulmonary response to silica or titanium dioxide: inflammatory cells, alveolar macrophage-derived cytokines, and histopathology. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 1990 Apr;2(4):381–390. doi: 10.1165/ajrcmb/2.4.381. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Faux S. P., Howden P. J., Levy L. S. Iron-dependent formation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in isolated DNA and mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium TA102 induced by crocidolite. Carcinogenesis. 1994 Aug;15(8):1749–1751. doi: 10.1093/carcin/15.8.1749. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Kennedy T. P., Dodson R., Rao N. V., Ky H., Hopkins C., Baser M., Tolley E., Hoidal J. R. Dusts causing pneumoconiosis generate .OH and produce hemolysis by acting as Fenton catalysts. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1989 Feb 15;269(1):359–364. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(89)90118-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Li X. Y., Donaldson K., Brown D., MacNee W. The role of tumor necrosis factor in increased airspace epithelial permeability in acute lung inflammation. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 1995 Aug;13(2):185–195. doi: 10.1165/ajrcmb.13.2.7626286. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Li X. Y., Donaldson K., Rahman I., MacNee W. An investigation of the role of glutathione in increased epithelial permeability induced by cigarette smoke in vivo and in vitro. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1994 Jun;149(6):1518–1525. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.149.6.8004308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ostro B. The association of air pollution and mortality: examining the case for inference. Arch Environ Health. 1993 Sep-Oct;48(5):336–342. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1993.9936722. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Pope C. A., 3rd, Bates D. V., Raizenne M. E. Health effects of particulate air pollution: time for reassessment? Environ Health Perspect. 1995 May;103(5):472–480. doi: 10.1289/ehp.95103472. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pope C. A., 3rd, Kanner R. E. Acute effects of PM10 pollution on pulmonary function of smokers with mild to moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1993 Jun;147(6 Pt 1):1336–1340. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/147.6_Pt_1.1336. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Punjabi C. J., Laskin J. D., Pendino K. J., Goller N. L., Durham S. K., Laskin D. L. Production of nitric oxide by rat type II pneumocytes: increased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase following inhalation of a pulmonary irritant. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 1994 Aug;11(2):165–172. doi: 10.1165/ajrcmb.11.2.7519435. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Rahman I., Li X. Y., Donaldson K., Harrison D. J., MacNee W. Glutathione homeostasis in alveolar epithelial cells in vitro and lung in vivo under oxidative stress. Am J Physiol. 1995 Sep;269(3 Pt 1):L285–L292. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.1995.269.3.L285. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Schwartz J. Air pollution and daily mortality: a review and meta analysis. Environ Res. 1994 Jan;64(1):36–52. doi: 10.1006/enrs.1994.1005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Schwartz J. Air pollution and hospital admissions for the elderly in Detroit, Michigan. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1994 Sep;150(3):648–655. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.150.3.8087333. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Schwartz J., Slater D., Larson T. V., Pierson W. E., Koenig J. Q. Particulate air pollution and hospital emergency room visits for asthma in Seattle. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1993 Apr;147(4):826–831. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/147.4.826. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Seaton A., MacNee W., Donaldson K., Godden D. Particulate air pollution and acute health effects. Lancet. 1995 Jan 21;345(8943):176–178. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(95)90173-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Thiemermann C., Wu C. C., Szabó C., Perretti M., Vane J. R. Role of tumour necrosis factor in the induction of nitric oxide synthase in a rat model of endotoxin shock. Br J Pharmacol. 1993 Sep;110(1):177–182. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1993.tb13789.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Vallyathan V., Shi X. L., Dalal N. S., Irr W., Castranova V. Generation of free radicals from freshly fractured silica dust. Potential role in acute silica-induced lung injury. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1988 Nov;138(5):1213–1219. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/138.5.1213. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Environmental Health Perspectives are provided here courtesy of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

RESOURCES