Early cellular and biochemical alveolar responses following intra-tracheal inoculation with low dose of asbestos and quartz.

The study of broncho-alveolar lavage harvested from rats intratracheally dusted with chrysotile (0.5 mg), leached chrysotile (0.5 mg), crocidolite (0.5 mg) and quartz (0.5 and 5 mg) indicated: 1. A cytotoxic lysis of alveolar macrophages in relation to phagocytosis of dust particles in the following decreasing order: quartz, crocidolite, chrysotile. 2. Regarding cell intensity and duration while asbestos, even leached chrysotile, gave merely an early and transient response. This cell recruitment concerned mostly PMN leukocytes and at a less extent alveolar macrophage. 3. Cell recruitment was associated with an increased protein and phospholipids alveolar content. The increase of proteins came probably mostly from an inflammatory serum exudation. However, an increase synthesis of complement C3 and phospholipids is not excluded.