Lung, sampling

The main reason for sampling for atmospheric particulates is to estimate the concentrations that are inhaled and deposited in the lungs. Sampling methods and the interpretation of data relevant to health hazards are relatively complex industrial hygienists, who are specialists in this technology, should be consulted when confronted with this type of problem. 

Tertiary amines such as trimethylamine and dimethylamine had long been known to be metabolized to A -oxides by a microsomal amine oxidase that was not dependent on CYP. This enzyme, now known as the microsomal flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO), is also dependent on NADPH and 02, and has been purified to homogeneity from a number of species. Isolation and characterization of the enzyme from liver and lung samples provided evidence of clearly distinct physicochemical properties and substrate specificities suggesting the presence of at least two different isoforms. Subsequent studies have verified the presence of multiple forms of the enzyme. 

Sources of enzyme assayed included human plasma, leukocytes, amniotic fluid, chorionic villus cells, and brain and lung samples obtained at autopsy. 

Kirk, J.M.E., Heard, B.E., Kerr, I. etal. (1984). Quantitation of types I and III collagen in biopsy lung samples from patients with cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis. Collagen. Rel. Res. 4, 169-182. 

Lodovici et al. (1998) measured the levels of PAHs and benzo[a]pyrenediol epoxide-DNA adduct in autoptic lung samples of smokers and non-smokers. Benzo[a]pyrene-diol epoxide resulting from metabohc activation of benzo[fl]pyrene binds to DNA to form an adduct, the levels of which can be nsed as a biomarker to evalnate the exposnre of hnmans to benzo(a)pyrene. 

Lodovici, M., V. Akpan, F. Migliani, L. Giovan-nini, and P. Dolara. 1998. Levels of PAHs and BPDE-DNA adduct in autoptic lung samples of smokers and non-smokers. Toxicol. Lett. 95(Suppl. 1) 184-85. 

This methodology has been employed for the identification of potential protein diagnostic signatures. By comparing the protein expression in lung adenocarcinoma tissue samples and uninvolved lung samples by 2D/MS, nine proteins were identified to have increased expression levels (1.4- to... 

Role and Usefulness of Mineralogical Analysis of Lung Samples 117... 

The difficulties and uncertainties associated with the assessment of occupational or environmental dust exposures from occupational histories, job exposure matrixes or calculations from specific exposure databases have led clinicians, pathologists and epidemiologists to investigate the capacities associated with the mineralogical analysis of lung samples. 

The purpose of the mineralogical analysis of lung samples (lung tissue, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, sputum) is to evaluate the particle burden retained in the lungs at the time of sampling. The measured particle levels integrate both phenomena of particle deposition and clearance. 

There are a number of methods described in the literature to perform mineralogical analysis on lung samples. They range from the basic examination of histological sections using light microscopy to very sophisticated electron microscopic analysis of individual particles isolated from the biological matrix. 

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