Physiological Studies on Byssinosis

摘要

The airway constrictor agent contained in cotton bracts was purified 15 fold relative to carbohydrate material as assayed by the phenol/sulfuric-acid method. Chemically the airway constrictor agent was characterized as a highly water soluble, small molecular weight agent which carries no net charge at neutral pH. A group of 105 healthy volunteers was assembled and participated in lung function studies prior to and following exposure to an aqueous extract of cotton bracts. The airway constrictor response to the extract varied among the individuals. Only nine of the 105 did not respond. More than half responded with a 25% or greater decrease in MEF40%. In a sample of ten individuals, the response was reproducible when the exposure was repeated 1 to 8 weeks later. The effects of inhaled bracts extracts was maximal about 90 to 120 minutes after the start of inhalation.