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Journal Article 2006; 27(Suppl 2): 40-43 PubMed PMID: 17159776 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Antioxidants:analysis, Asbestos:toxicity, Cell Survival:drug effects, Chemokine CCL2:metabolism, Chemokine CCL4, Chemokines:metabolism, Glutathione Peroxidase:analysis, Glutathione Reductase:analysis, Inhalation Exposure, Lung:chemistry, Macropha.   

OBJECTIVES: Activity of cytoplasmatic superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase,- and reductase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and expression of macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 and macrophage inhibitory protein-1alpha was determined in primary culture of rat alveolar macrophages and type II pneumocytes after exposure to stone-wool, wollastonite and crocidolite (blue asbestos).

METHODS: The activity of redox enzymes was examined by RANDOX kits, chemokines were studied by ELISA.

RESULTS: The UICC crocidolite (positive control) decreased the activity of all redox enzymes and increased the expression of chemokines, whereas the two asbestos substituents did not alter the activity of redox enzymes either in the alveolar macrophages or pneumocytes. Stone-wool and wollastonite moderately increased the expression of chemokines in both cells.

CONCLUSIONS: The redox status and production of chemokines changed in the opposite direction, presumably owing to stronger toxic effect of asbestos. These data suggest that stone-wool and wollastonite, as potential substituents for asbestos, are less toxic than the human carcinogenic and fibrogenic crocidolite....

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Evaluation Studies 2006; 27(Suppl 2): 23-26 PubMed PMID: 17159772 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Antioxidants:analysis, Body Weight:drug effects, Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid:chemistry, Ceramics:toxicity, Glutathione Peroxidase:analysis, Inhalation Exposure:analysis, Lung:chemistry, Lung Diseases:chemically induced, Male, Mineral Fibers:toxi.   

OBJECTIVES: The programmes of asbestos replacement brought the need to use other fibres for insulation or reinforcement of material. The aim of the presented study was to follow the effect of refractory ceramic fibres (RCF3) alone or in combination with cigarette smoke (CS) on antioxidant status of the lung in experiment on animals. As free radicals are supposed to play a role in pathogenesis of lung diseases and the toxicity of particles has been associated with production of reactive oxygen species, the antioxidant status may serve as marker of lung injury. Our hypothesis was that the effect of combined exposure to RCF3 and CS will be additive or synergic.

DESIGN: Scheme of experiment: Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups per 6 animals: control, intratracheal exposure to 4 mg of RCF3, inhalatory exposure to mainstream of cigarette smoke from 8 standard research 1R1 cigarettes per day, and both intratracheal exposure to RCF3 and inhalatory to CS. The exposure lasted 6 months, the inhalatory exposure was performed 5 times per week. After finishing the exposure bronchoalveolar lavage of lungs was performed and ascorbic acid, superoxide dismutase, glutathione and glutathione peroxidase were determined in lung tissue and cell free fraction of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF).

RESULTS: The results showed that the most sensitive indicator of changes in antioxidant status was glutathione, which was changed in all groups both in BALF and lung tissue homogenate....

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