Environmental Health Perspectives 105, Supplement 5, September 1997

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Cell Size of Alveolar Macrophages: An Interspecies Comparison

Fritz Krombach, 1 Silvia Münzing, 1 Anne-Marie Allmeling, 1 J. Tilman Gerlach, 1 Jürgen Behr, 2 and Martina Dörger 1

1 Institute for Surgical Research, 2 Department of Internal Medicine I, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Munich, Germany

Abstract
Alveolar macrophages (AM) play a critical role in the removal of inhaled particles or fibers from the lung. Species differences in AM size may affect the number and size range of particles/fibers that can be actually phagocytized and cleared by AM. The purpose of this study was to compare the cell size of rat, hamster, monkey, and human AM by selective flow cytometric analysis of cell volume. Resident AM from CD rats, Syrian golden hamsters, cynomolgus monkeys, and nonsmoking, healthy human volunteers were harvested by standard bronchoalveolar lavage procedures. Morphometric analysis of AM was performed using a flow cytometer that generates volume signals based on the Coulter-type measurement of electrical resistance. We found that hamster and rat AM had diameters of 13.6±0.4 µm ( n =8) and 13.1±0.2 µm ( n =12), respectively. Comparatively, the AM from monkeys (15.3±0.5 µm, n =7) and human volunteers (21.2±0.3 µm, n =10) were larger than those from rats and hamsters. The AM from humans were significantly larger ( p <0.05) than those from all other species studied, corresponding to a 4-fold larger cell volume of human AM (4990±174 µm 3 ) compared to hamster (1328±123 µm 3 ) and rat (1166±42 µm 3 ) AM. In summary, we have found marked species differences in the cell size of AM. We suggest that the number and size range of particles/fibers that can be phagocytized and cleared by AM may differ among species due to inherent or acquired species differences in AM cell size. -- Environ Health Perspect 105(Suppl 5):1261-1263 (1997)

Key words : alveolar macrophages, flow cytometry, cell size, cell volume, cell diameter, species differences, rat, hamster, monkey, human

This paper is based on a presentation at The Sixth International Meeting on the Toxicology of Natural and Man-Made Fibrous and Non-Fibrous Particles held 15-18 September 1996 in Lake Placid, New York. Manuscript received at EHP 26 March 1997; manuscript accepted 1 April 1997.

This work was supported in part by a grant from the European Insulation Manufacturers Association (EURIMA).

Address correspondence to Dr. F. Krombach, Institut für Chirurgische Forschung, Klinikum Grosshadern, Marchioninistr. 15, D-81366 München, Germany. Telephone: 49-89-7095-4403. Fax: 49-89-7095-8897. E-mail: krombach@icf.med.uni-muenchen.de

Abbreviations used: AM, alveolar macrophage(s); BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage.

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Last Update: November 14, 1997