Is the trachea a marker of the type of environmental pollution?

Objectives/hypothesis: The differentiated character of changes in the mucous relief of the trachea as induced by air containing pollutants from the wastes of nickel-, mercury-, and cement-producing plants and by Candida albicans occurring in the waste disposal site of a large town are identified. The trachea was chosen because it is the entrance gate for the penetration of polluted air into the lungs. Changes on the trachea influence the character and extent of changes in lungs.

Study Design: Histological study with Viennese grey strain laboratory rabbits and rats caught directly on an investigated site.

Methods: We present new results of the functional morphology of the respiratory system as the results of scanning and transmission electron microscopy studies that can reveal character and range of damage of mucosal relief of trachea relevant to the functional dynamics of mucociliary clearance. Under physiological conditions this mechanism allows that only respirable dust particles enter the deep respiratory tract.

Results: In case of a damaged tracheal relief because of exposure to various aerosols, the functional morphology is changed, which aids in understanding the mechanisms damaging to mucociliary clearance induced by living in heavily polluted areas.

Conclusion: Understanding of these morphological changes on base of detailed electron microscopic findings sheds new light on elaborating novel diagnostic methods for clinical practice.