Effects of sulfuric acid mist inhalation on mucous clearance and on airway fluids of rats and guinea pigs.

The responses of guinea pigs and rats to inhaled sulfuric acid aerosols were compared to define species differences and to determine the small-animal model most relevant to human exposures. Rats were exposed for 6 h to 1, 10, and 100 mg H2SO4/m3. Guinea pigs were exposed for 6 h to 1, 10, and 27 mg H2SO4/m3. Tracheal mucous clearance of guinea pigs was slowed 1 d after exposures to 1 mg H2SO4/m3. A tendency toward faster clearance was observed at high concentrations of H2SO4 for both guinea pigs and rats (statistically significant only for the rats). The speeding of mucous clearance was correlated with increases in airway sialic acid and also with the appearance of excess tracheal secretions, detected using scanning electron microscopy in both rats and guinea pigs. The responses of guinea pigs to sulfuric acid exposures were more similar to those reported for humans than were those of rats.