[Method of studying the functional state of pulmonary alveolar macrophages during exposure to atmospheric pollutants]

On the basis of experimental research results a method to assess the functional state of pulmonary alveolar macrophages in rabbits and rats has been proposed as a criterion of the biological effect of chemical atmospheric pollutants. The test involves a cytological assay, determination of the viable cells quantity and of the phagocytic competence, and also the biochemical study of alveolar macrophages enzymes activity (acid phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase, lysozyme, beta-galactosidase, beta-glucosidase, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase). It has been shown that this method is informative and reliably reproducible, and that it was reasonable to use it in environmental health and other branches of experimental biology and medicine.