S. Yamamoto et al., Suppression of pulmonary antibacterial defenses mechanisms and lung damagein mice exposed to fluoride aerosol, J TOX E H A, 62(6), 2001, pp. 485-494
Citations number
22
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology,"Pharmacology & Toxicology
Journal title
JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH-PART A
In endemic fluorosis areas in China associated with coal burning, indoor ai
rborne fluoride pollution is severe. To determine the effects of fluoride a
erosols on pulmonary antibacterial defense mechanisms and lung damage, mice
were exposed to various concentrations of fluoride aerosol (2, 5, or 10 mg
/m(3)) or filtered air (control) for 14 d, 4 h/d in an inhalation chamber.
Bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus in the lung and the num
ber and profile of free pulmonary cells, protein content, and lactate dehyd
rogenase (LDH) activity in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were assessed
. Urinary fluoride concentration, an indicator of fluoride exposure, increa
sed in proportion to fluoride aerosol concentration in the chamber. Wet lun
g weight was significantly higher on d 14 in mice exposed to 10 mg/m(3) tha
n in controls. Pulmonary bactericidal activity against S. aureus was concen
tration-dependently suppressed at 5 and 10 mg/m(3) fluoride. The number of
alveolar macrophages (AMs) in the BAL fluid of the mice not bacterially cha
llenged decreased significantly at 10 mg/m(3) fluoride. The number of polym
orphonuclear leukocytes and lymphocytes increased significantly at 10 mg/m(
3) fluoride exposure. The concentration of total protein (TP) and albumin i
n BAL supernatant increased significantly at 5 and 10 mg/m(3) fluoride expo
sure, and LDH activity rose markedly at the higher fluoride concentration.
Data indicate that fluoride inhalation produces pulmonary cellular alterati
ons that are associated with a diminished ability to cope with infectious b
acteria.