Effects of acute nitrogen dioxide exposure on cellular immunity after lung immunization

The effects of acute NO2 exposure on antigen-specific cell-mediated lung immunity in Fischer 344 rats were evaluated. Animals were exposed for 24 hr to either room air or 5, 10, or 26 ppm NO2 before intratracheal immunization with 10(8) sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Cellular immunity was evaluated by antigen-specific lymphocyte stimulation assays of pooled lymphoid cell suspensions from either the thoracic lymph nodes or spleens. Elevated cellular immunity was observed after exposure to NO2. The ability of the 26 ppm NO2 exposure to increase cellular immunity seemed to parallel, and in some cases even exceed, that seen in control animals immunized with SRBC mixed with 2 X 10(7) heat-killed Bacillus Calmette-Guerin. These results support the theory that lung damage, and/or alterations of regulatory populations of immune cells, induced by agents such as NO2 can be responsible for the production of abnormally elevated immune responses to antigens deposited in the damaged lung.