The changes in pulmonary cell population in response to aerosols containing either Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus were studied in a murine model. The lungs of inbred DBA/2J mice received an inoculum of 2 X 10(5) colony-forming units of the microorganism and lung lavages were performed at various time intervals thereafter. P. aeruginosa aerosols produced an immediate decrease in the number of resident alveolar macrophages (AM), followed by a two-waved recruitment of cells into the respiratory tract; the first wave was composed of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and the second of monocyte-like peroxidase-positive AM. The change in cell populations was transient and returned to baseline values within a week after aerosolization. In contrast, aerosolized S. aureus initially induced a slight increase in mononuclear cells, and by 60 min after aerosol exposure, the cell population was not different from that of control animals.