Recovery behaviour after dust overloading of lungs in rats

In previous inhalation studies, an impairment of the alveolar clearance in rats was observed, following exposure to high concentrations of insoluble particles. The objective of this study was to investigate whether this effect is reversible upon cessation of exposure. A model was developed to describe retention of test toner and of labelled test particles in the lungs and in the lung-associated lymph nodes.