Emphysema and Pneumoconiosis

Abstract

Pulmonary burdens of quartz dust and bituminous coal dust, respectively, were imposed upon rats and hamsters by inhalation and intratracheal injection before and after production of papain- induced emphysema. Quantitation was performed of the pulmonary content of silica, hydroxyproline, and lipids of the animals burdened with quartz dust and of the pulmonary dust content only of the animals burdened with coal dust. There were statistically significant reductions in mean silica content as well as mean coal dust content of emphysematous lungs in all four groups of hamsters. In rats, whereas the mean pulmonary dust content was lower in emphysematous animals than in nonemphysematous controls, this difference was statistically significant in only two of the four groups. Improved dust clearance is believed to be a major factor in the reduction of dust content of emphysematous lungs.