Differential retention of 212Pb ions and insoluble particles in nasal mucosa of the rat

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Abstract
The time course of retention of 212Pb ions in ciliated nasal epithelium and of tagged insoluble particles, which served both as a deposition vector and marker for mucus, was measured in 13 rats by counting the head externally at 2 min intervals up to 100 min after deposition. On average, 70-75% of insoluble particles introduced onto ciliated epithelium in 3 mu l of distilled water were cleared to the gut with a half-time of approximately 15 min (range 6-35 min). A smaller fraction of lead ions (averaging about 60% introduced in the same water sample was cleared to the gut with a half-time in each rat similar to that of particle clearance. Rapid uptake of about 8% of deposited 212Pb into blood was also observed. A compartment model consistent with the observed nasal retention and appearance of 212Pb in blood showed that, on average, 8% of deposited lead ions were transferred to the blood with a half-time of 15 min. For about 35% of the deposited lead ions and 25% of the particles, no clearance was detected up to 60-100 min after deposition. It is probable that a fraction of the lead ions are retained by epithelial tissue.