EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF SENSITIZATION TO BERYLLIUM, ZIRCONIUM, AND ALUMINUM COMPOUNDS IN RABBIT

[摘要] In a study designed to assess the potential sensitizing and granulomagenic capacities of selected metallic salts, rabbits were inoculated intradermally with zirconium aluminum glycinate (ZAG), sodium zirconium lactate (NZL), aluminum chlorhydrate (ACH), BeSO4 and ovalbumin (OVA) by single and multiple injections. Animals immunized with BeSO4 and with OVA developed delayed skin reactivity and antigen-specific alveolar macrophage migration inhibition. Neither single nor multiple injections of ZAG or ACH resulted in clear-cut positive skin reactivity, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) production or lymphocyte stimulation. Rabbits inoculated with multiple injections of NZL (500 .mu.g) showed some marginally positive macrophage migration inhibition and skin reactivity. Histologically, ZAG and ACH induced well-organized foreign-body granulomas after intradermal injection in normal and inoculated rabbits. NZL and BeSO4 also induced skin granulomas, but these were less organized and distinct. Cell viability and ultrastructural studies indicated that BeSO4 was highly toxic for isolated alveolar macrophages in vitro at concentrations above 10 .mu.g/ml, but NZL and ZAG did not exert such an effect at these dose levels. BeSO4 also depressed lymphocyte stimulation in sensitized animals which demonstrated delayed skin reactivity and macrophage migration inhibition.