Active oxygen generation by alveolar macrophage in mice treated with carcinogen and promoter

Glycerol has an action to enhance pulmonary tumorigenesis in mice treated with 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO). In order to evaluate factors contributing to enhancing effect of glycerol on 4NQO-induced pulmonary tumorigenesis, we selected alveolar macrophage (AM) as a source of active oxygen formation in the lung and investigated the effect of glycerol on active oxygen formation in AMs of mice treated with 4NQO in this study. AMs were stimulated with opsonized zymosan, and active oxygen formation in AMs after stimulation was examined. Continuous glycerol treatment within 4 weeks after 4NQO injection has no influence on the capacity of active oxygen generation in AMs (expressed as maximum count of chemiluminescence) and total amount of active oxygen generation in AMs (expressed as total count of chemiluminescence). These results suggest that active oxygen formation in AMs don't contribute to enhance 4NQO-induced pulmonary tumorigenesis in mice treated with glycerol.