Effects of Inhaled Hexachlorobenzene Aerosols on Rat Pulmonary Host Defenses

摘要

Pulmonary bactericidal activity, macrophage phagocytic activity, alveolar macrophage (AM) enzyme activity and T- and B-cell mitogenesis of lymphocytes from lung associated (LALN) or mesenteric lymph nodes (MESLN) were assessed in rats and/or mice exposed 4 hr/d, 4 days/wk for 1, 4 or 16 days to hexachlorobenzene (HCB) aerosols. Pulmonary bactericidal activity was depressed in rats following 1 or 4 but not 16 exposures to 35 mg/cu m HCB. Single 4-hr exposures of 25-45 mg/cu m HCB did not alter bactericidal activity in mice. Rat AM phagocytosis of (51)Cr-RBC in vitro was increased after 4 but not 1 or 16 exposures to HCB while no effect was observed in peritoneal macrophages. HCB significantly enhanced B-cell mitogenesis in MESLN following 4 exposures while LALN B-cell mitogenesis and LALN and MESLN T-cell mitogenesis were not affected. However, after 16 exposures the T-cell responses in LALN and MESLN were significantly increased and decreased, respectively. The studies show that inhalation of 35 mg/cu m HCB alters immunologic and pulmonary defenses of the rat. (Copyright (c) 1989 Princeton Scientific Publishing Co., Inc.)