A microsimulation model for the development and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease that is thought to affect over one million people in Great Britain. The main factor contributing to the development of COPD is tobacco smoke. This paper presents a microsimulation model for the development of COPD, incorporating population dynamics and trends in smoking. The...

Elemental composition of particulate matter and the association with lung function

BACKGROUND: Negative effects of long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) on lung function have been shown repeatedly. Spatial differences in the composition and toxicity of PM may explain differences in observed effect sizes between studies. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter study in 5 European birth cohorts - BAMSE (Sweden), GINIplus and...

Preexposure to amorphous silica particles attenuates but also enhances allergic reactions in trimellitic anhydride-sensitized brown Norway rats

Irritant-induced inflammation of the airways may aggravate respiratory allergy induced by chemical respiratory allergens. Therefore, the effect of airway irritation by synthetic amorphous silica (SAS) on respiratory allergy to trimellitic anhydride (TMA) was studied. Brown Norway (BN) rats were topically sensitized on day 0 and on day 7,...

The contact allergen dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) and respiratory allergy in the Th2-prone Brown Norway rat

All LMW respiratory allergens known to date can also induce skin allergy in test animals. The question here was if in turn skin allergens can induce allergy in the respiratory tract. Respiratory allergy was tested in Th2-prone Brown Norway (BN) rats by dermal sensitization with the contact allergen dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB; 1%, day 0; 0.5%,...

Vroeggeboorte, intra-uteriene groeiachterstand en lichamelijke ziehten op de volwassen leeftijd; resultaten van 19 jaar POPS-follow-up [Premature birth, intrauterine growth retardation and physical disease in adulthood: Results of 19 years POPS follow-up]

Infants born very prematurely are at greater risk of neurosensory handicaps and developmental problems than are term born children. Premature birth, intrauterine growth retardation, and the combination of both, may also be risk factors for physical disease in adulthood. As this aspect has been little studied so far, we looked into its first...

Alveolar macrophages suppress non-specific inflammation caused by inhalation challenge with trimellitic anhydride conjugated to albumin

Occupational exposure to low molecular weight chemicals, like trimellitic anhydride (TMA), can result in occupational asthma. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are among the first cells to encounter these inhaled compounds and were previously shown to affect TMA-induced asthma-like symptoms in the Brown Norway rat (Valstar et al., Toxicol. Appl....

Alveolar macrophages have a dual role in a rat model for trimellitic anhydride-induced occupational asthma

Occupational exposure to low molecular weight chemicals, like trimellitic anhydride (TMA), can result in occupational asthma. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are among the first cells to encounter inhaled compounds. These cells can produce many different mediators that have a putative role in asthma. In this study, we examined the role of AMs in lung...

Endotoxin exposure and atopic sensitization in adult pig farmers

Background: Recent studies have reported a low prevalence of atopic sensitization and respiratory allergy in children growing up on farms. Objectives: We sought to evaluate the dose-response relationship between endotoxin and atopic sensitization in adult farmers and to assess the effect on respiratory health outcomes. Methods: Data on endotoxin...

Respiratory irritation by trimellitic anhydride in Brown Norway and Wistar rats

Several acid anhydrides are known for their sensitizing and irritative properties. Since both irritation and respiratory allergy can cause changes of lung function, proper testing of allergen-dependent effects on the respiratory tract requires knowledge of the respiratory irritant effects. To study the latter effects, groups of female Brown...

Human safety and pharmacokinetics of the CFC alternative propellants HFC 134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane) and HFC 227 (1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane) following whole-body exposure

HFC 134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane) and HFC 227 (1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane) are used to replace chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in refrigerant and aerosol applications, including medical use in metered-dose inhalers. Production and consumption of CFCs are being phased out under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer....

Airway morphology and function of rats following dermal sensitization and respiratory challenge with low molecular weight chemicals

Local lymph node activation and increased total serum IgE levels are suggested to be predictive parameters of airway hypersensitivity caused by low molecular weight (LMW) chemicals. Whether increases of total serum IgE are indicative of actual induction of specific airway reactions (morphological and functional) after inhalation challenge was...

Normalized resistance and normalized flow to describe air way resistance

The effect of flow and flow patterns on the resistance of the airways was reinvestigated. A new way to describe pressure-flow relationships is introduced. Normalized resistance, Rn, is defined as resistance (P/φ) divided by the viscosity of the inspired gas (μ) relative to air (Rn = Rμ(u)/μ). Normalized flow φn is defined as flow times relative...

Lung damage in the rat after irradiation and treatment with cytotoxic drugs

Interstitial pneumonitis (IP) is one of the major complications after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (incidence: 30 to 50%, fatality rate: 50 to 60%). Cytomegalovirus is associated with 60% of the cases. When no infectious agent can be detected, it is classified as idiopathic IP (IIP). Factors related to IIP are: remission induction...