Correlation between the behavior of magnetic iron oxide particles in the lungs of rabbits and phagocytosis.

Five New Zealand white male rabbits were exposed (30 min; 300 mg/m3) to a submicrometric magnetic iron oxide aerosol (gamma-Fe2O3) produced by burning iron pentacarbonyl in a reducing atmosphere. After aerosol inhalation, an external magnetic field was applied to the rabbits to magnetize and align the ferrimagnetic particles within their lungs. After removal of the external field, a remanent magnetic field was detectable at the body surface. Using a flux-gate magnetometer probe in an enclosure shielded against external magnetic noise, the peak remanent field after magnetization was measured periodically during the next 6 weeks. After each magnetization, the strength of the remanent field decayed rapidly with time (relaxation). The mechanism responsible is particle rotation caused by tissue, cell, organelle, or Brownian movement. The rate of relaxation changed with time after particle inhalation, especially during the first day; changes in the relaxation rate correlated with an estimate of in situ particle phagocytosis during that time. Analysis of pulmonary lavage fluid from 15 rabbits into which radioactive gold-198 had been intratracheally instilled showed that, at 1 hr after instillation, 27% of the gold had been phagocytized, whereas at 16 hr 91% had been ingested. The strength of the magnetic field immediately after each magnetization (that is, before relaxation) was used to estimate the amount of iron oxide in the lungs. At 1 day after exposure, 96.8 +/- 8.8% (mean +/- standard error) of the initial dust was still present; at 10 days, 67.9 +/- 16.2%; and at 40 days, 16.0 +/- 4.6%. It is concluded that ferrimagnetic particles can serve as an easily measured, long-lasting marker that can be used for noninvasive studies of clearance and of particle phagocytosis and as a probe for intracellular processes such as organelle motion.

Noninvasive studies of Kupffer cells in situ by magnetometry.

Magnetic iron oxide (gamma-Fe2O3) particles were injected intravenously into four male New Zealand white rabbits. Most of these particles were phagocytized by the Kupffer cells. When the animal was placed in a magnetic field, the particles in the liver became magnetized and aligned. After removal of the external magnetizing field, the particles collectively produced a remanent magnetic field which was measured at the body surface. The strength of this field was proportional to the amount of magnetic particles present in the liver; sequential measurements thus allowed us to describe their disappearance from the liver. After each magnetization, the remanent field rapidly decayed due to particle rotation (relaxation). Since the particles were confined in phagosomes or secondary lysosomes we conclude that movements of these organelles due to cytoplasmic motion caused relaxation. Magnetic particles might therefore serve as probes for cytoplasmic motility of Kupffer cells in situ.

Behavior of magnetic particles in hamster lungs: estimates of clearance and cytoplasmic motility.

Ferrimagnetic particles suspended in saline were instilled intratracheally into the lungs of Syrian golden hamsters. The particles were magnetized and aligned by applying an external magnetic field. Upon removal of the external field, the particles produced a remanent magnetic field from the lungs which decayed due to random misalignment of the particles (relaxation). Magnetization and relaxation measurements were performed immediately after instillation, then repeatedly during the first 24 h, and finally at intervals of several days up to 30 days after the instillation. The size of the initial remanent magnetic field immediately following each external magnetization is a measure of the amount of iron oxide in the lungs. It decreased with time, reflecting particle clearance. The rate of relaxation increased steeply during the first 12 h after the instillation and decreased slowly between the 5th and 30th day. Changes in the location of particles from extracellular to intracellular sites and movements from ectoplasmic to endoplasmic sites within cells may be responsible for the observed changes in relaxation rates with time.

Magnetic particles in the liver: a probe for intracellular movement.

Previous studies have used magnetic particles to estimate the viscosity of cell cytoplasm in vitro 1-4. Here we describe how magnetic Fe2O3 particles can be used to estimate non-invasively the motion of organelles in hepatic macrophages in intact animals. We report that when these particles are injected intravenously (i.v.), most are phagocytosed by hepatic macrophages (Fig. 1)5. When an external magnetic field is applied to the rabbit, these particles become magnetized and aligned. After removal of the field, the particles collectively produce a remanent magnetic field which can be measured at the body surface. This field decreases with time due to particle rotation (relaxation) 6,7. As the particles are contained in phagosomes or secondary lysosomes, we conclude that motions of these organelles are responsible for the particle rotation and relaxation.

Smoke toxicity of common aircraft carpets.

The smoke toxicity of three carpets commonly available for use in commercial aircraft was determined by ignition in a specially designed smoke apparatus. Rats were exposed for 15 min to three different fuel loads, on a weight-to-volume basis. Evaluation was by mortality, time of useful function (TUF), and unconsciousness. No deaths were noted with carpets A or C at 64 mg/l or 128 mg/l fuel load concentration; at 256 mg/l, 42% mortality resulted from carpet A and 4.5% with carpet C. Exposure to carpet B resulted in a mortality of 4.3%, 72.5%, and 100% at the three concentrations. The TUF data and time of unconsciousness correlated closely with the results of the mortality, but were much more sensitive. These studies indicate that a potential severe hazard exists with some types of carpet, and further research is needed to identify and eliminate these materials from aircraft interiors.