Influence of Coexposure of Ozone with Quartz, Latex, Albumin, and LPS on TNF-α and Chemotactic Factor Release by Bovine Alveolar Macrophages in Vitro

Abstract

Ambient air is a mixture of particles and gases, but in studies with air pollutants often a single compound is used. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the combined effect of pollutant mixtures. Bovine alveolar macrophages (BAM) were incubated in vitro for 2 h with quartz, latex, or albumin particles and afterward exposed to 0.25 or 1 ppm ozone. Incubations of BAM with 1 ppm ozone, quartz, albumin, or LPS alone significantly increased the release of TNF-α and a chemotactic factor for macrophages (Mac-ChF) from the cultured cells. Combinations of particles with ozone showed in no case a synergistic or antagonistic effect on the TNF-α or chemoattractant secretion. Incubations with LPS of ozone-pretreated cells resulted in an additive effect on Mac-ChF release. In conclusion, the results of this study provided evidence that the in vitro coexposure of ozone and particles does not result in an interaction, at least not for the release of TNF-α and Mac-ChF from BAM.