Development of an Animal Model for Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome

An animal model for organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS) was developed using the guinea pig. Animals were exposed to airborne cotton dust at 78–33 mg m−3 for 6 h. A febrile response of 1.1–1.5°C occurred by 5 h and lasted for several hours. Concurrent with this response was a change in pulmonary function, which consisted of rapid, shallow breathing with airflow limitation during exhalation. Evaluation of bronchoal-veolar lavage indicated a neutrophilic inflammation of the lung and increased amounts of tumor necrosis factor None of the above changes was found in a control group of animals exposed under the same conditions to cellulose dust at 41 mg m−3. The animal model thus displayed the distinguishing characteristics of ODTS, that is, a febrile reaction and a neutrophilic pulmonary inflammation. As such, the model has the potential to contribute toward increased understanding of the mechanism of this disorder and the etiologic agents causing response.