Acute Effect of Glucan-Spiked Office Dust on Nasal and Pulmonary Inflammation in Guinea Pigs

Abstract

The acute effects of pure inhaled glucan on respiratory inflammation remain inconclusive and not sufficiently examined with regards to the simultaneous interaction of glucan, endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), and house dust in airway inflammation. This study aims at determining effects of simultaneous exposure to office dust and glucan on nasal and pulmonary inflammation. This is relevant for humans with occupational exposure in waste handling and farming and buildings with mold problems. Office dust collected from Danish offices was spiked with 1% (1–3)-β-glucan (curdlan). Guinea pig nasal cavity volume was measured by acoustic rhinometry (AR) and animals were exposed by inhalation for 4 h to curdlan-spiked dust, unspiked dust, purified air (negative controls), or LPS (positive controls). After exposure (+5 h) or the following day (+18 h), measurements were repeated by AR and followed by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Total and differential cell counts, interleukin (IL)-8 in BAL fluid, and change in nasal volume were compared between groups. A 5–10% increase in nasal volume was seen for all groups including clean air except for a significant 5% decrease for spiked-dust inhalation (+18 h). No marked differences were observed in BAL cells or IL-8 except in LPS-exposed controls. The delayed decrease of nasal cavity volume after exposure to glucan spiked dust suggests a slow effect on the upper airways for curdlan and office dust together, though no pulmonary response or direct signs of inflammation were observed. Glucan-spiked office dust exposures produced a delayed nasal subacute congestion in guinea pigs compared to office dust alone, but extrapolated to nasal congestion in humans, paralleling the nasal congestion seen in human volunteers exposed to the same dust, this may not have clinical importance.

The authors thank everyone at the University of Iowa Pulmonary Toxicology Facility and J⊘rgen Stenderup, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Herning Hospital. This study was funded by a grant from the University of Aarhus, Denmark.