ABSTRACT
AIM: To assess the role of surface free radicals and electromotive voltage of fibrous mineral dusts in rabbit pulmonary alveolar macrophage injuries induced by fibrous mineral dusts. METHODS: Changes in cell death ratio, malandialdehyde (MDA) and cellur electrophoresis ratio, lactate dehydrogenate (LDH)and superoxide dismitase(SOD) activities were determined, the technique of cell culture and Scanning electron Microscopy were used to examine the change of membranous permeability, charge and cellular shape. RESULTS: Fibrous wollastonite and tabulate clinoptilolite, which had no OH-, had no cytotoxicity, while fibrous sepiolite, fibrous palygorskite, fibrous brucite and chrysolite asbestos damaged pulmonary alveolar macrophages in various degrees because of the different OH- levels. All the six fibrous mineral dusts changed the cellular electrophoresis ratio. CONCLUSION: The surface electromotive voltage of fibrous mineral dusts is not an important factor, and the cytotoxicity of them may be related to OH- levels on the mineral dust surface.