Enhanced macrophage-fibroblast interactions in the pulmonary interstitium increases fibrosis after silica injection to monocyte-depleted mice.

The role of interstitial vs. alveolar macrophages in the generation of pulmonary fibrosis after silica was examined. Using whole body irradiation to delay the inflammatory response and so retard particulate clearance, many more instilled silica particles reached the interstitial macrophages in the first 2 weeks than after silica alone. This was followed by greatly increased fibroblast proliferation and deposition of collagen in the irradiation plus silica group, which developed large interstitial granulomas at the sites of silica retention. Although alveolar macrophages containing silica were seen in both silica groups, more interstitial particles were observed after combined irradiation and silica, significantly more silica was recovered in a residue from the lungs at 16 weeks, and pulmonary fibrosis at 8-16 weeks was greater than in all other groups. The results indicate that increased fibroblast growth and collagen synthesis in vivo are associated with phagocytosis of silica by interstitial macrophages rather than by free alveolar macrophages. It is suggested that transfer of a macrophages-derived growth factor to fibroblasts is more efficient when it occurs within the pulmonary interstitium.