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Aluminium (Al) exposure can result in Al accumulation in the liver and this metal can be toxic to the hepatic tissue at high concentrations. In the present study the model of the isolated perfused rat liver was used to investigate the hepatic handling of Al. Livers from male Wistar rats were perfused in a recirculating system for 240 min. The liver function remained unchanged at perfusate concentrations of Al ranging from 4.9 to 1530.0 micrograms/l. At higher Al levels of 6535.3-16694.9 micrograms/l signs of toxicity towards isolated perfused livers were observed as indicated by an increased release of the enzymes AST and ALT into the perfusate, a pronounced reduction of bile flow rate and a 50% suppression of oxygen consumption. The hepatic Al clearance was low and decreased with increasing concentrations of Al in the perfusate from 4.3 +/- 0.6 microliters/min per g liver at a nominal Al concentration of 9.1 micrograms/l in control perfusate to 0.04 +/- 0.02 microliter/min per g liver at the highest concentration group. There was almost a linear dose dependent retention of Al in the liver with 4.9-635.7 micrograms Al/l perfusate while at higher concentrations Al levels in this organ increased disproportionally. It is concluded that by using the isolated perfused rat changes of liver functions occur only at very high Al concentrations in the perfusate and that only negligible amounts of Al are eliminated by the liver.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) has gained widespread use as a tool for investigating human lung diseases. In certain cases, it can be useful to obtain BAL material in a serial manner. There is convincing evidence from experimental and clinical studies that BAL can cause influx of neutrophils into the bronchoalveolar space. However, conflicting data have been reported on whether this side effect of BAL also affects previously nonlavaged lung areas. In addition, there is little information available on whether multiple repetitive BAL procedures cause damage to lung tissue. To reexamine the short-term effects of serial BAL procedures, the left lung of 10 cynomolgus monkeys was lavaged with five 20-ml aliquots of saline four times at 24-h intervals (Group A). 72 h after the initial BAL, the right lung was lavaged as a control. The percentage of neutrophils increased significantly (p0.05), with the greatest effect seen at 48 h (30.7 +/- 5.8 versus 0.8 +/- 0.3%, mean +/- SEM). No significant changes were observed in the control BAL of the right lung at 72 h. A multidisciplinary approach was used to assess the long-term effects of multiple BAL procedures. BAL was performed 14 times over 26 mo at 2-mo intervals (Group B, n = 5). The right lung was lavaged as a control 25 mo after the initial BAL. In addition to standard cellular BAL parameters, the concentrations of fibronectin, procollagen III amino-terminal peptide-related antigen, total phospholipids, and lactate dehydrogenase activity were measured.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Fibrogenic effects of amorphous quartz dusts are discussed more and more during recent years. In order to study alterations due to amorphous silica (quartz glass VP 203-006) in comparison with crystalline quartz (DQ-12), an inhalation experiment in rats was carried out. Male Wistar rats were separated in two dust exposed groups (n = 35) and one control group (n = 30). The experiment was carried out in inhalation chambers with a slowly rotating animal cage for 12 months, 7 h per day, and 5 days per week. The dust concentration was 10 mg/m3. After 4 and after 8 months of inhalation, 5 animals of each group were sacrificed. After 12 months 15 rats of the dust exposed groups and 10 controls were euthanized. The remaining animals were kept for another 12 months post-inhalation period. Regarding the macroscopical appearance of the lungs, the relative organ weights and the histomorphological reaction pattern, marked dust depending differences are obvious. In the lungs of DQ-12-exposed animals diffuse structural changes occur, including fibrosis and severe reaction of macrophages. Histology of lungs from quartz glass exposed animals reveals only a slight and focally arranged cellular reaction with a few collagenous fibers. However, in both dust exposed groups the mediastinal lymph nodes are extremely enlarged with severe fibroses. Additionally, the following blood parameters were determined: lysozyme, ACE, GOT, GPT, and AP. The most pronounced changes are detectable in lysozyme and GOT after DQ-12 exposure. After quartz glass exposure, the levels of these parameters are similar to the controls. These results show that the amorphous quartz tested in this experiment (quartz-glass VP 203-006) has to be considered as a compound with certain biological effects. The establishing of occupational standards seems to be justified. But, assessing the effects, the different physical and/or chemical properties of various amorphous quartz dusts have to be considered.

A method of anti-complement immunofluorescence is described for semiquantitative measurement of antibodies in 281 sera samples obtained from patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. Tests were performed on frozen sections of 17 human bronchogenic carcinoma. - 168 sera obtained from healthy persons were used as control. Tumor and control sera were also tested on frozen sections of 10 normal lungs. - The intensity of fluorescence was measured by incident light with the aid of a Leitz microscope photometer. In comparison to control sera the mean values of fluorescence intensity of the tested 281 tumor sera were significantly higher when frozen sections of bronchogenic carcinoma were used. - In order to allow for the different content of antigens in the bronchogenic carcinoma we have calculated the rations of the tested tumor and control sera on tumor and normal sections. - The percentage of positive results showed strong dependence on the histological type of the bronchogenic carcinoma used as frozen section and differed between 16,3 and 69,1%. The highest percentage of positive reactions resulted when tumor sera were tested on frozen sections of undifferentiated bronchogenic carcinoma. Besides that sera from patients suffering from small cell bronchogenic carcinoma gave more positive results than sera from patients with other bronchogenic carcinoma. - In 78,3% of the carcinoma were tested on frozen sections of undifferentiated bronchogenic carcinoma.

Xenotransplants of human carcinomas were tested for consistency of the analytical data of tumor markers over several passages in nude mice and nude rats. The binding properties of antibodies against tumor-associated antigens present in sera from tumor-bearing patients were tested with aid of the anticomplement immunofluorescence. The best binding capacity was found when sera from patients with bronchogenic carcinomas reacted on xenotransplants of the digestive tract (70%). Because of the low values for controls as well as for inflammatory diseases, this test may be applicable in the early recognition of lung cancer.

209 sera of tumor-bearing patients and 133 control sera were tested by anti-complement immunofluorescence (ACIF) on 2 xenotransplants of human bronchogenic cancer and on 2 xenotransplants of rectum carcinoma passaged in nu/nu mice. Testing of sera from patients with bronchogenic carcinoma resulted in a positive reaction with the xenotransplants of bronchogenic cancer in 48.5 to 58.5%, and sera of patients with digestive tract cancer in 6.6 to 16.1%. On xenotransplants of rectum carcinoma 73.2 to 78.1% of the sera from patients with bronchogenic carcinomas and 22.6 to 29.1% of the sera of patients with digestive tract cancer reacted positively. Control sera were positive dependent on the xenotransplants in 2.0 to 12.5%. These results indicate that there are antibodies in the sera of tumor-bearing patients against one or more non organ specific tumor-associated antigen(s) occurring in an elevated concentration in carcinomas of the digestive tract than in bronchogenic carcinomas. After absorption of the sera with homogenates of bronchogenic carcinoma and liver metastases of colon carcinoma the reaction was inhibited in the ACIF, reaching control values.

We report about the occurrence and importance of antinuclear antibodies in patients with malignant diseases. - We analyzed 110 sera of patients with tumors and found in 42% ANA. In contrast a corresponding control group contained ANA in 1.8%. - Patients with bronchogenic carcinoma and those of the digestive tract possessed ANA in a comparable percentage of 36 and 39, respectively. - Sera of patients with mamma- and uteruscarcinoma contained ANA in nearly 50%. - A connection between the type of the tumor and occurrence of ANA can be assumed. - Antibodies were directed against different antigens of the nucleus, often simultaneously occurring. Antibodies which we have detected, belong to different classes of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM and IgA). In most cases we found a combination of antibodies. In 51% of positive cases antibodies were able to fix complement.