Toxic effects of mosquito coil (a mosquito repellent) smoke on rats. II. Morphological changes of the respiratory system.

A group of 20 female albino rats was exposed to mosquito coil smoke, 8 h a day, 6 days per week, for 60 days. An additional group receiving air exposure served as control. The smoke-exposed animals had a lower body weight than the controls. Smoke-induced histopathological lesions, including an inflammation of the tracheal epithelium, atelectasis of the lung parenchyma, emphysema, increase of alveolar macrophages in the alveolar space and perivascular infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells were observed in the experimental rats. An elevation of enzyme activities of lactate dehydrogenase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, glutamate oxoacetate transaminase and acid phosphatase were found in the serum of the smoke-exposed rats indicating the enzymes were released from the damaged tissues into the blood stream.