[Dynamic comparative study of the intraalveolar cell population after intratracheal injection of beryllium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide in the rat].

A sequential quantitative analysis of free alveolar cells was performed on S.P.F. rats after intratracheal injection of Be (OH)2 and Al (OH)3. The induced lesions were entirely restored 20 days after the initial injection. Beryllium hydroxide inhibited DNA synthesis in the free alveolar macrophages and the transeptal cellular flow could be evidenced. Aluminium hydroxide increased the number of free cells without inhibiting DNA synthesis. Quantitative variations of polymorphonuclears, lymphocytes and macrophages were correlated with changes in the alveolar environment. A strong direct correlation between the number of lymphocytes and DNA synthetizing macrophages was shown out. This reaction was not observed in beryllium treated rats.