Effects of asbestos and beryllium on release of alveolar macrophage enzymes.

Rabbit alveolar macrophages were exposed in culture medium to asbestos, beryllium sulfate, and beryllium oxide. The specific activities of the lysosomal hydrolases, acid phosphatase beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase and beta-glucuronidase plus the glycolytic enzyme, phosphohexose isomerase were determined in the medium, whole-cell homogenates, mitochondrial fractions, and supernatant. These hydrolases increased significantly in the medium but not in the mitochondrial fraction of cells exposed to dusts. Asbestos and beryllium sulfate were highly cytotoxic for alveolar macrophages in vitro and the data suggested that these agents were not associated with an increase in enzyme synthesis but rather a direct cytotoxic effect at the macrophage membrane level. For induction of enzyme release in vitro, a higher concentration of beryllium oxide was needed when compared with asbestos and beryllium sulfate. The cytotoxicity and enzyme release induced by these agents may represent an important nonspecific mechanism by which they induce inflammation and perhaps local proliferation of fibroblasts.