Impairment of phagocytosis by moderate hyperoxia (40 to 60 per cent oxygen) in lung macrophages.

Exposure of isolated mouse lung macrophages to 40 and 60 per cent oxygen in tissue culture for 48 hours resulted in significant depression of phagocytosis as compared to air-exposed controls. The impairment of phagocytosis was reversed when the cells were reexposed to normoxic conditions for 48 hours. The impairment of phagocytosis occurred despite significant increases in intracellular superoxide dismutase activity, an enzyme felt to play a protective role in oxygen toxicity. Exposure to 40 and 60 per cent oxygen increased the susceptibility of lung macrophages to functional impairment by 95 per cent oxygen, rather than producing tolerance. The precise biologic and clinical significance of these findings will require additional studies in integrated systems. However, these studies show unequivocal lung macrophage injury with moderate hyperoxic exposure.