SUBCHRONIC SILICA EXPOSURE ENHANCES RESPIRATORY DEFENSE MECHANISMS AND THE PULMONARY CLEARANCE OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES IN RATS James M. Antonini, Hui-Min Yang, Jane Y. C. Ma, Jenny R. Roberts, Mark W. Barger, Leon Butterworth, Tina G. Charron, Vince Castranova Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA Both Listeria monocytogenes infection and silica exposure have been shown to signifi- cantly alter immune responses. In this study, we evaluated the effect of preexposure to silica on lung defense mechanisms using a rat pulmonary L. monocytogenes infection model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were instilled intratracheally with saline (vehicle con- trol) or silica using either an acute treatment regimen (5 mg/kg; 3 days) or a subchronic treatment protocol (80 mg/kg; 35 days). At 3 or 35 days after silica instillation, the rats were inoculated intratracheally with either ~5000 or 500,000 L. monocytogenes. At 3, 5, and 7 days postinfection, the left lung was removed, homogenized, and cultured on brain heart infusion agar at 37°C. The numbers of viable L. monocytogenes were counted after an overnight incubation. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed on the right lungs, and BAL cell differentials, acellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and albumin content were determined. Alveolar macrophage (AM) chemiluminescence (CL) and phagocytosis were assessed as a measure of macrophage function. Lung-associated lymph nodes were removed, and lymphocytes were recovered and differentiated. Pre- exposure to silica significantly increased the pulmonary clearance of L. monocytogenes as compared to saline controls. Exposure to silica caused significant increases in BAL neutrophils, LDH and albumin, and lymph-nodal T cells and natural killer (NK) cells in infected and noninfected rats. CL and phagocytosis were also elevated in silica-treated rats. In summary, the results demonstrated that exposure of rats to silica enhanced pul- monary immune responses, as evidenced by increases in neutrophils, NK cells, T lym- phocytes, and macrophage activation. These elevations in pulmonary immune response are likely responsible for the increase in pulmonary clearance of L. monocytogenes observed with preexposure to silica. Repeated exposure to different workplace particulates may predispose some workers in certain industries to an increased prevalence of respira- tory infections. Human epidemiologic data suggest that inhalation of air pollutants generated in the workplace and the environment may be asso- ciated with an increased incidence and severity of acute respiratory infec- tions (Howden, 1988; Dockery & Pope, 1994; Schwartz, 1994). Animal 1017 Inhalation Toxicology, 12:1017±1036, 2000 Copyright  2000 Taylor & Francis 0895±8378/00 $12.00 + .00 Received 29 April 2000; sent for revision 18 May 2000; revision received 25 May 2000; accepted 26 May 2000. Address correspondence to James M. Antonini, PhD, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA. E- mail: jga6@cdc.gov