This work was designed to evaluate the toxicity of inhalable particles [less than/equal to] 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(10)) collected from the urban air in São Paulo, Brazil, to the mucociliary apparatus using the frog palate preparation. Seven groups of frog palates were immersed in different concentrations of PM(10) diluted in Ringer's solution during 120 min: 0 (control, n = 31); 50 (n = 10); 100 (n = 9); 500 (n = 28); 1,000 (n = 10); 5,000 (n = 11); and 10,000 microg/m(3) (n = 10). Mucociliary transport and transepithelial potential difference were determined at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min exposure. Additional groups (control and 500 microg/m(3)) were studied by means of morphometric analyses (quantification of the amount of intraepithelial and surface mucins), measurement of cilia beat frequency, and quantification of total glutathione. Mucociliary transport and transepithelial potential difference were significantly decreased at higher concentrations of PM(10) (p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively). Exposure to PM(10) also elicited a significant decrease of total glutathione (p = 0. 003) and depletion of neutral intraepithelial mucins (p = 0.0461). These results show that PM(10) can promote significant alterations in ciliated epithelium in vitro.