Exposure to air pollution [particulate matter, particles <10 microm (PM(10))] causes a systemic inflammatory response that includes stimulation of the bone marrow (BM) and progression of atherosclerosis. Monocytes are known to play a key role in atherogenesis by migration into subendothelial lesions where they appear as foam cells. The present study was designed to quantify the BM monocyte response in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits after PM(10) exposure. WHHL rabbits were given twice weekly intrapharyngeal instillations of 5 mg of PM(10) for 4 wk to a total of 40 mg and compared with control WHHL or New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. The thymidine analog 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine was used to label dividing cells in the BM and a monoclonal antibody to identify monocytes in peripheral blood. The transit time of monocytes through the BM was faster in WHHL than in NZW rabbits (30.4 +/- 1.9 h vs. 35.2 +/- 0.9 h, WHHL vs. NZW; P < 0.05). PM(10) instillation exposure increased circulating band cell counts, caused rapid release of monocytes from the BM, and further shortened their transit time through the BM to 23.2 +/- 1.6 h (P < 0.05). The percentage of alveolar macrophages containing particles in the lung correlated with the BM transit time of monocytes (r(2) = 0.45, P <0.05). We conclude that atherosclerosis increases the release of monocytes from the BM, and PM(10) exposure accelerates this process in relation to the amount of particles phagocytosed by alveolar macrophages.