A QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF THE PENETRATION OF INSOLUBLE PARTICLES INTO THE TISSUE OF THE CONDUCTING AIRWAYS

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Abstract
We have noted previously that insoluble radioactive particles deposited on the airways of the respiratory tract are not all rapidly cleared. Particles have been found within the airway wall some time after deposition. In this report the first quantitative study is presented of the spatial distribution of both inhaled UO 2 particles and intra-tracheally administered BaSO 4 particles in the wall of the airways in the rat. The results show that in the intrapulmonary airways between 7 and 17 days after inhalation, UO 2 particles are situated most frequently at a depth of 8–10 μm from the luminal surface. At 24 h in the trachea, BaSO 4 particles concentrate between 10 and 15 μm beneath the surface, corresponding to the zone immediately beneath the basement membrane; by 7 days the distribution is broader but otherwise similar. This pattern of retention should assist in assessing the dose from radioactive particles absorbed by the basal cells of the epithelium. which are likely to be the origin of carcinoma of the airways.

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