Micron-sized intrapulmonary particle deposition in the developing rat lung.

Little is known about the effects of postnatal developmental changes in lung architecture and breathing patterns on intrapulmonary particle deposition. We measured deposition in the developing Wistar-Kyoto rat, whose lung development largely parallels that of humans. Deposition of 2-μm sebacate particles was determined in anesthetized, intubated, spontaneously breathing rats on postnatal days (P) 7 to 90 by aerosol photometry (Karrasch S, Eder G, Bolle I, Tsuda A, Schulz H. J Appl Physiol 107: 1293-1299, 2009). Respiratory parameters were determined by body plethysmography. Tidal volume increased substantially from P7 (0.19 ml) to P90 (2.1 ml) while respiratory rate declined from 182 to 107/min. Breath-specific deposition was lowest (9%) at P7 and P90 and markedly higher at P35 (almost 16%). Structural changes of the alveolar region include a ninefold increase in surface area (Bolle I, Eder G, Takenaka S, Ganguly K, Karrasch S, Zeller C, Neuner M, Kreyling WG, Tsuda A, Schulz H. J Appl Physiol 104: 1167-1176, 2008). Particle deposition per unit of time and surface area peaked at P35 and showed a minimum at P90. At an inhaled particle number concentration of 10(5)/cm(3), there was an estimated 450, 690, and 330 particles/(min × cm(2)) at P7, P35, and P90, respectively. Multiple regression models showed that deposition depends on the mean linear intercept as structural component and the breathing parameters, tidal volume, and respiratory rate (r(2) > 0.9). In conclusion, micron-sized particle deposition was dependent on the stage of postnatal lung development. A maximum was observed during late alveolarization (P35), which corresponds to human lungs of about eight years of age. Children at this age may therefore be more susceptible to micron-sized airborne environmental health hazards.