Dissolution of two arsenic compounds by rabbit alveolar macrophages in vitro

The ability of rabbit alveolar macrophages to dissolve two arsenic compounds, 74As-labeled lead arsenate and arsenic trisulfide, was studied in vitro. The solubilities in water of these two compounds are related differently to pH. The solubility of lead arsenate increases and that of arsenic trisulfide decreases with decreasing pH. The radiolabeled particles were incubated with and without macrophages for up to 3 days, whereafter the amount of 74As in soluble form and the amount in particle form and/or bound to macrophages were determined. The results strongly support the hypothesis that the dissolution of particles by macrophages is influenced by the acid milieu in the phagosomes. About 14% of the 74As-labeled lead arsenate particles incubated for 3 days with the macrophages was released into the culture medium, compared with about 2% of the particles incubated with the culture medium without macrophages. With the arsenic trisulfide particles, less soluble 74As was released into the medium in samples with macrophages than in samples without macrophages, although the solubility in all incubations was considerably greater than that for lead arsenate. The results indicate that dissolution in the phagosomes of the macrophages may be of great importance for the clearance of particles such as lead arsenate, which are more soluble at pH 4 than at pH 7.