Proposal on limits for chemical exposure in saturation divers' working atmosphere: the case of benzene.

Saturation diving is performed under extreme environmental conditions. The divers are confined to a limited space for several weeks under high environmental pressure and elevated oxygen partial pressure. At present, divers are protected against chemical exposure by standard exposure limits only adjusted for the increased exposure length, i.

Simulated diving after heat stress potentiates the induction of heat shock protein 70 and elevates glutathione in human endothelial cells.

Heat stress prior to diving has been shown to confer protection against endothelial damage due to decompression sickness. Several lines of evidence indicate a relation between such protection and the heat shock protein (HSP)70 and HSP90 and the major cellular red-ox determinant, glutathione (GSH). The present study has used human endothelial cells as a model system to investigate how heat stress and simulated diving affect these central cellular defense molecules.

Anti-C5a monoclonal antibodies and pulmonary polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration--endothelial dysfunction by venous gas embolism.

Venous gas embolism (VGE) impairs endothelial function although there is no apparent mechanical damage to the endothelial layer. We investigated whether a monoclonal antibody against the complement anaphylatoxine C5a would affect endothelial dysfunction and pulmonary polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration caused by low-grade VGE. Six rabbits were pre-treated with the anti-C5a monoclonal antibody whereas a sham monoclonal antibody was administrated to six other animals 30 min before VGE.

Small amounts of venous gas embolism cause delayed impairment of endothelial function and increase polymorphonuclear neutrophil infiltration.

Gas bubbles from decompression and gas embolization lead to endothelial dysfunction and mechanical injury in the pig, rabbit and lamb. In the study presented here, 0.01 ml air/min/kg was infused through a catheter into the jugular vein in 12 rabbits for 60 min.