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Chemotactic response of human alveolar macrophages and blood monocytes elicited by exposure to sulfur dioxide

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Research in Experimental Medicine

Abstract

An experimental study was undertaken to investigate the in vitro effect of sulfur dioxide on the chemotactic activity of alveolar macrophages (AM) and blood monocytes (BM). The cells were placed on a polycarbonate membrane and exposed to SO2 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 ppm for 15 min. Control experiments were performed with exposure of the cells to synthetic air with 5% CO2. After gas exposure the cells were incubated with the chemotactic active agent C5a in 5% carbon dioxide (CO2) at 37°C for 60 min. The numbers of AM and BM passing actively through the membrane were quantified using light microscopy. Our results show a dosedependent reduction in the migration rate of cells under SO2 exposure. SO2 0.5 ppm induced a 29% and SO2 2.5 ppm a 53% decrease in migration of AM compared with the control exposure to synthetic air (P<0.01). Identical experiments with BM resulted in a decrease in migration of up to 57% (P<0.01). At SO2 concentrations of up to 2.5 ppm no significant cytotoxic effects were observed for AM or BM. The data demonstrate that exposure to SO2 may reduce the chemotactic activity of AM and BM. Our results further suggest that the decrease in cell migration induced by SO2 is due to changes in chemotactic mechanisms and not to cell death.

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Author notes

  1. Joachim Müller-Quernheim

    Present address: Research Institute Borstel, Medical Hospital, Parkallee 35, D-23845, Borstel, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pneumology, Bldg 409, IIIrd Department of Internal Medicine, Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, D-55131, Mainz, Germany

    Marli Maria Knorst, Klaus Kienast, Stephanie Groß, Bernhard Fries, Joachim Müller-Quernheim & Rudolf Ferlinz

Authors
  1. Marli Maria Knorst
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  2. Klaus Kienast
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  3. Stephanie Groß
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  4. Bernhard Fries
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  5. Joachim Müller-Quernheim
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  6. Rudolf Ferlinz
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Knorst, M.M., Kienast, K., Groß, S. et al. Chemotactic response of human alveolar macrophages and blood monocytes elicited by exposure to sulfur dioxide. Res. Exp. Med. 196, 127–135 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02576834

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02576834

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