INHALATION TOXICITY OF (1-]3)-BETA-D-GLUCAN - RECENT ADVANCES

To investigate the effects of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan after inhalation, animals were exposed to different forms of glucan and the number of lu ng lavage cells was determined 24 h after exposure, None of the differ ent forms assayed caused any increase in cell numbers, In animals expo sed to endotoxin, all types of cells were increased after 24 h. A simu ltaneous exposure to curdlan reduced this increase in a dose-related f ashion. The results suggest that (1-->3,)-beta-D-glucan-related acute injury to the lung is induced by mechanisms other than those induced b y inflammagenic agents such as endotoxin.