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EFFECTS OF INHALATION OF SOLUBLE METALLIC CONSTITUENTS OF PARTICULATE MATTER ON CARDIOPULMONARY, THERMOREGULATORY, AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN GUINEA PIGS
Citation:
Watkinson, W P., J. P. Nolan, U P. Kodavanti, M. Schladweiler, P A. Evansky, E. R. Lappi, D L. Costa, L. B. Wichers, AND J Stanek. EFFECTS OF INHALATION OF SOLUBLE METALLIC CONSTITUENTS OF PARTICULATE MATTER ON CARDIOPULMONARY, THERMOREGULATORY, AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN GUINEA PIGS. Presented at American Thoracic Society Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, May 17-22, 2002.
Description:
EFFECTS OF INHALATION OF SOLUBLE METALLIC CONSTITUENTS OF PARTICULATE MATTER ON CARDIOPULMONARY, THERMOREGULATORY, AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN GUINEA PIGS. JP Nolan1, LB Wichers2, J Stanek3, UP Kodavanti1, MCJ Schladweiler1, PA Evansky1, ER Lappi1, DL Costa1, and WP Watkinson1. 1US EPA, ORD/NHEERL/ETD/PTB, Research Triangle Park, NC; 2UNC School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC; 3College of Vet Med, NCSU, Raleigh, NC USA.
It has been proposed that the adverse effects of particulate matter (PM) demonstrated in epidemiological studies may be mediated in part via soluble metallic constituents of PM. While toxicological studies in rats and mice support this hypothesis, only limited data are available in the guinea pig, a potentially useful and more appropriate model. Thus, the present studies examined the impact of inhaled metal sulfate constituents (Ni, V) of PM on cardiopulmonary, thermoregulatory, and biochemical indices in awake, male guinea pigs. Animals were implanted with radiotelemeters capable of monitoring electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate (HR), and core body temperature (Tco). Animals were exposed (6h/d?4d) to sulfates of Ni (0.53 mg/m3) + V (0.50 mg/m3) and monitored for 96h. At selected intervals, animals were examined for changes in ventilatory function using a flow-through plethesmograph. There was a trend toward decreased HR during exposure, but these decreases ( 20 bpm) were small compared to those seen previously in rats. There was a consistent metals-induced decrease in Tco (1.0?1.5 C) on all exposure days; again these decreases were smaller than observed previously in rats. There was an increase in Penh and a decrease in minute ventilation over the course of the study. Analyses of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) indicated increases in protein, albumin, LDH, and N-acetylglucosaminidase activity at 4d postexposure. Thus, these studies show small but quantifiable cardiopulmonary toxicity in guinea pigs after inhalation exposure to the soluble metals contained in PM. Although toxicity is diminished when compared to that seen previously in rats, these studies demonstrate the potential utility of the healthy and compromised guinea pig model for the study of PM effects. (Abstract does not represent USEPA policy.)