• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.2 s.75
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• pp.192-198
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• 2006

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP) and adverse cardiopulmonary effects. Despite the epidemiological proof, the pathogenesis of DEP-related pulmonary diseases remain poorly understood. So, comprehensive in vivo and in vitro researches are required to know the effects of DEP on diverse lung diseases. Alveolar macrophages (AM) and airway epithelial cells are known as important cellular targets in DEP-induced lung diseases. Other studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) is involved in particle matter induced lung injury. The present study was undertaken to determine whether DEP has an synergistic effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO formation and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) with nitrotyrosilated-protein formation in cultured primary alveolar macrophages. The formation of NO was determined through the Griess reaction in the cultured medium and iNOS with nitrotyrosilated-proteins are analyzed by immunohistochemical staining and Western analysis. The results indicate that DEP exposure does not induce NO formation by itself, however DEP showed significant synergistic effects on LPS-induced NO formation. So, our results suggest that DEP inhalation could aggravate inflammatory lung disease through NO formation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.426-436
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• 2006

Background : Particulate matters (PM) when inhaled is known to induce pulmonary diseases including asthma and chronic bronchitis when inhaled. Despite the epidemiological proofevidence, the pathogenesis of PM-related pulmonary diseases is unclearremain poorly understood. Methods : Primary alveolar macrophages were harvested from the SPF and inflammatory rats by bronchioalveolar lavage (BAL). The cultured primary alveolar macrophages were treated with the medium only, PM only ($5{\sim}40{\mu}g/cm^2$), LPS (5ng/ml) only, and PM with LPS for 24 and 48 hours. The level of secreted nitric oxide (NO) was assayed from the cultured medium by using the Griess reaction. The cultured cells were utilized for the western blotting against the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) proteins. Immunocyto- chemical staining against the iNOS and NT-proteins were performed in cells that cultured in the $Lab-Tek^{(R)}$ chamber slide after treatments. Results : The PM that utilizein this experiments induced NO formation with iNOS expression in the cultured SPF and inflammatory rats alveolar macrophages, by itself. When the cells were co-treated with PM and LPS, there was a statistically significant synergistic effect on NO formation and iNOS expression over the LPS effect. The cells from the sham control showed minimal immunoreactivity for the NT-proteins. Significantly higher quantities of NT-proteins were detected in the PM and PM with LPS co-treated cells than from the sham control. Conclusion : Increased iNOS expression and NO formation with increased NT-proteins formation might be involved in the pathogenesis of PM-induced lung injury.