In vitro toxicity of indium arsenide to alveolar macrophages evaluated by magnetometry, cytochemistry and morphological analysis.

The present study was conducted to clarify the toxicity of Indium arsenide (InAs) particles to alveolar macrophages of hamsters by cytomagnetometry, enzyme release assays and morphological examinations. One million alveolar macrophages obtained from hamsters were exposed to 60 microg of ferrosoferric oxide and 2, 4, 10 and 20 microg of InAs particles. Relaxation, which is the rapid decline of strength of the remanent magnetic fields radiating from the alveolar macrophages, was insignificantly delayed and decay constants were not changed due to exposure to such doses of InAs. Because the relaxation is thought to be associated with the cytoskeleton, the exposure to InAs may not have impaired their motor function. An LDH release assay and morphological findings indicate slight damage to macrophages. DNA electrophoresis and the TUNEL method revealed neither necrotic changes nor apoptotic changes. Thus, InAs particles at such doses hardly cause cytostructural changes and cell death.