TRACHEAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS IN-VITRO AS A MODEL TO STUDY GENOTOXICITY OF AIRBORNE-PARTICULATES

The major target site of airborne particulates is the tracheobronchial epithelium of the respiratory tract. It is also the origin of the mos t common cancer in man, bronchogenic carcinoma. Rodent tracheal epithe lial cells in culture can be used to study the genotoxic activity of a irborne particulates leading to mutation and cancer. Airborne particul ates were collected in the heavily industrialized Rhine-Ruhr region us ing a high volume sampler HVS 150 (Strohlein Instruments) equipped wit h glass fibre filters. Chemical substances were extracted with di-chlo romethane or methanol and quantitatively transferred to dimethyl sulfo xide for tissue culture experiments. Tracheal epithelial cells of the syrian golden hamster and the Wistar rat were dissociated by pronase t reatment and cultivated in a 'complex' medium. The induction of sister chromatid exchanges was used as a sensitive bioassay for detection of genotoxic activity of airborne particulates. Extracts of airborne par ticulates led to a dose-related highly significant induction of sister chromatid exchanges in cell cultures of tracheal epithelial cells of the hamster and the rat. Even quantities of chemical substances equiva lent to airborne particulates from less than 1 m(3) air were markedly genotoxic.