Effect of bronchopulmonary lavage on lung retention and clearance of particulate material in hamsters.

Hamsters were exposed to an aerosol of fused aluminosilicate particles (FAP) labeled with 57Co. Three groups of animals were given bronchopulmonary lavage, beginning at either 1 week, 1 month, or 6 months after exposure. Each treated group was lavaged eight times over a period of 25 days. Each lavage involved 10 saline washes of the lungs. For each group, about 60-70% of the body content of 57Co at the start of lavage treatment was removed; nearly half of this was recovered in the first two lavages. A positive correlation was demonstrated between the macrophage content and 57Co activity of the washings. The subsequent fractional clearance rate of 57Co from lavaged animals was not significantly different from that in a group of untreated control animals.