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The early acute pulmonary response of Wistar rats exposed nose-only to respirable polymeric diphenyl-methane 4,4′-diisocyanate (MDI) aerosol was examined. This study investigated the time course of the relationship between acute pulmonary irritation and ensuing disturbances of the air/blood barrier in rats exposed to concentrations of 0.7, 2.4, 8, or 20 mg MDI/m3. The duration of exposure was 6 h. The time-response relationship of MDI-induced acute lung injury was examined 0 h (directly after cessation of exposure), 3 h, 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days after exposure. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was analyzed for markers indicative of injury of the bronchoalveolar region, i.e., angiotensin-converting enzyme, protein, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, γ-glutamyltranspeptidase, and sialic acid. Phosphatidylcholine and acid phosphatase were determined in BAL fluid and cells. Glutathione was determined in BAL fluid and lung tissue. This analysis revealed no latent period of effects except a transiently delayed influx of cells and increased lung weights on postexposure days 1 and 3. Markedly loaded BAL cells with phosphatidylcholine were observed on day 1 only. In most instances, changes returned to the level of the air exposed control on day 7, except increased glutathione in lung tissue. The findings suggest that the most sensitive markers of dysfunction of the air/blood barrier are angiotensin-converting enzyme and protein, including alkaline phosphatase. The statistically significant increase in intracellular phosphatidylcholine and decreased intracellular acid phosphatase on the exposure day suggest that increased amounts of phospholipids are phagocytized by alveolar macrophages, associated with protracted lysosomal catabolism. Partially glutathione-depleted rats exposed to 20 mg/m3 experienced a more pronounced increase in BAL protein than normal rats. In summary, this study suggests that respirable polymeric MDI aerosol interacts directly with the air/blood barrier causing increased extravasation of plasma constituents as a result of increased permeability of capillary endothelial cells. Overall, a transient dysfunction of the pulmonary epithelial barrier occurred at level as low as 0.7 mg/m3 and appears to be related a dysfunction of pulmonary surfactant. Nonprotein sulfhydryl constituents appear to play a role as portal-of-entry specific modifying factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulmonary response of Wistar rats to respirable polymeric diphenylmethane-4,4'-diisocyanate (PMDI) aerosol was examined in a 2-wk repeated nose-only inhalation exposure study. Exposure concentrations were 1.1, 3.3, and 13.7 mg PMDI/m[sup 3] (6 h/day, 15 exposures). The level of 13.7 mg/m[sup 3] was actually a combination of an initial target concentration of 10 mg/m[sup 3] in wk 1, which was raised to 16 mg/m[sup 3] in wk 2, due to a lack of signs suggestive of pulmonary irritation. An acute sensory irritation study on rats served as basis for selection of these concentrations. Shortly after the 2-wk exposure period, rats were subjected to pulmonary function and arterial blood gas measurements. Lungs were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy, and labeling indices in terminal bronchioles were measured. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed to assess various indicators of pulmonary inflammation, including neutrophil and macrophage numbers, protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GT), alkaline phosphatase (APh), acid phosphatase (ACPh), and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase (beta-NAG). Phosphatidylcholine in BAL fluid and BAL cells was determined as aggregated endpoint suggestive of changes in pulmonary surfactant. Rats exposed to 3.3 and 13.7 mg/m[sup 3] experienced concentration-dependent signs of respiratory tract irritation. Determination of arterial blood gases, lung mechanics, and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity did not demonstrate specific effects. Analysis of BAL fluid and BAL cells revealed changes indicative of marked inflammatory response and/or cytotoxicity in rats exposed to 13.7 mg/m[sup 3], and the changes were characterized by statistically significantly increased activities of LDH, beta-NAG, and protein. Phospholipid concentrations were increased in rats exposed to 1.1 mg/m[sup 3] and above (elevated levels of lipid material in alveolar macrophages demonstrated by polychrome stain) and 3.3 mg/m[sup 3] and above (increased intracellular ACPh activity and intracellular phospholipids). In these groups, gamma-GT was statistically significantly increased. These findings suggest that changes in phospholipid homeostasis appear to occur at lower levels than those eliciting inflammation and cytotoxicity. Light and transmission electron microscopy suggest that exposure to 3.3 and 13.7 mg/m[sup 3] resulted in focal inflammatory lesions and an accumulation of refractile, yellowish-brownish material in alveolar macrophages with concomitant activation of type II pneumocytes. In the terminal bronchioles a concentration-dependent increase of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled epithelial cells was observed in all PMDI exposure groups. In summary, it appears that respirable PMDI aerosol interacts with pulmonary surfactant, which, in turn, may stimulate type II pneumocytes to increase their production of surfactant and to proliferate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]