Sulfur Dioxide 가스 흡입 후 흰쥐 기관 점막에서 Laminin의 발현에 대한 연구

Expression of Laminin in Rat Tracheal Mucosa after Exposure to Sulfur Dioxide Gas

Background and Objectives : The concentration of sulfur dioxide($SO_2$) gas in the ambient air appears increasing in the industry and urban area day by day. It was known that $SO_2$ is noxious gas. $SO_2$ can be irritating to the eyes, nose, throat, upper respiratory tract and skin. It produces sulfurous acid on contact with water and is extremely irritating to the nasopharynx and respiratory tract. Laminin is a family of extracellular matrix glycoproteins localized in the basement membrane that separates epithelial cells from the underlying stroma. The biological activities of laminin are to promote cell migration, wound healing, growth and differentiation. Meterials and Methods : The histologic changes and the expression of laminin in tracheal mucosa sacrificed at every weeks (to 7 weeks) after continued $SO_2$ exposure of 250ppm for 30 minutes a day were studied in rats. Results : Pathologic tissue was formed at the tracheal mucosa and the underlying tissue by the infiltration of monocytes and epithelium was transformed to the single cell layered epithelium above 5 weeks after exposure. At the 6 weeks after exposure, epithelial cells were partially lost and epithelial cell layer was transformed to be leaf-shaped. Submucosal tissue was transformed to be lymphatic tissue. An intense positive staining for laminin was found in apical cytoplasm and lateral surface of the normal epithelial cells and basement membrane but at the 5 and 6 weeks after exposure, laminin activity was decreased to the moderate activity. At the 7 weeks after exposure, laminin activity was decreased to the weak activity. Conclusion : Our finding suggests that $SO_2$ makes histologic damage on the tracheal mucosa and decreases immunoreactivity for laminin. Longer duration of the exposure of $SO_2$ makes more histologic damage on the tracheal mucosa and decreases immunoreactivity for laminin.