Acid rain: effects on arachidonic acid metabolism in perfused and ventilated guinea-pig lung

Isolated, perfused and ventilated guinea-pig lungs were exposed for 10 min to acid (sulphuric + nitric acid) aerosol mimicking acid rain at pH 4.5 or 2.5, as well as to a control distilled water aerosol (pH 6.0-6.5). Lung perfusing solution was recovered and thromboxane (TX) B2 and leukotriene (LT) B4 were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) techniques. In a series of experiments TXB2 release averaged 0.43 +/- 0.18 (+/- SD) ng/min during exposure to distilled water aerosol and increased to 0.70 +/- 0.30 ng/min during exposure to acid aerosol at pH 4.5 (P less than 0.05). In a second series of experiments TXB2 release was 0.46 +/- 0.18 ng/min and increased to 1.07 +/- 0.51 ng/min (P less than 0.01) after acid aerosol at pH 2.5. In both cases LTB4 release, reflecting lipoxygenase activity, was unchanged. LTC4 levels were not measurable under basal conditions as well as after exposure to acid aerosol. A pneumoconstriction was also observed, being more pronounced after acid aerosol at pH 2.5. Individual sulphuric and nitric acid aerosol component solutions at pH 2.5 evoked TXB2 and airway resistance changes corresponding to those observed with the mixed acid aerosol. LTB4 was not modified. Acid rain inhalation may directly stimulate pathways leading to the bronchoconstrictor and pro-aggregating TXA2 synthesis in isolated guinea-pig lung, without affecting the lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism.