ABSTRACT
Female Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with a suspension of 11 fibrous and 3 granular dusts. A dose of 0.25 mg actinolite or UICC chrysotile induced tumours of the peritoneum in more than 50% of the animals. Even 0.05 and 0.01 mg proved to be carcinogenic, although no adhesions of the abdominal organs could be observed. The findings are in conflict with the hypothesis that a scar is always the morphological precondition for the development of an asbestos-induced tumour. Actinolite injected i.p. in a solution of polyvinylpyridine-N-oxide gave a lower tumour incidence than when suspended only in saline, possibly due to inactivation of the fibre surface. Persistent glass fibres were less effective than actinolite having a similar fibre size distribution. On the other hand, relatively thick basalt fibres and ceramic fibres gave higher tumour incidences than expected. Wollastonite fibres were not carcinogenic, probably because of their low durability. Large amounts of polyvinylchloride, alpha-ferric oxide hydrate and wood dust also led only to adhesions of the abdominal organs and fibrosis; a definite carcinogenic effect was not detected.
Subject(s)
Asbestos/toxicity , Carcinogens , Hazardous Substances/toxicity , Minerals/toxicity , Animals , Asbestos/administration & dosage , Carcinogenicity Tests , Dust/adverse effects , Female , Glass/administration & dosage , Glass/toxicity , Injections, Intraperitoneal , Minerals/administration & dosage , Neoplasms, Experimental/etiology , Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology , Particle Size , Polyvinylpyridine N-Oxide/pharmacology , Rats , Rats, Inbred Strains , Tissue Adhesions/pathologySubject(s)
Abdominal Neoplasms/etiology , Carcinogens , Glass/toxicity , Lung Neoplasms/etiology , Precancerous Conditions/etiology , Aerosols , Animals , Asbestos/toxicity , Asbestos, Crocidolite , Asbestos, Serpentine , Female , Glass/administration & dosage , Injections, Intraperitoneal , Rats , Rats, Inbred StrainsABSTRACT
About 50 dusts were examined on their carcinogenicity in rats mainly after intraperitoneal injection and some after intratracheal instillation. In the i.p. test, very low doses between 0.05 and 0.5 mg asbestos led to tumour incidences of about 20 to 80%. Polyvinyl-pyridine-N-oxide prolonged the tumour latency after injection of actinolite. 60 mg attapulgite from three sources with short fibre lengths were not shown to be carcinogenic but an attapulgite sample with longer fibres had a moderate effect. Relatively thick rock and ceramic fibres (median greater than 1 micron) induced tumours, but slag and wollastonite fibres did not, probably because of their better solubility. Intratracheal instillations of glass microfibres (20 X 0.5 mg) led to lung tumours in 5 of 34 rats (0 in control). The carcinogenic potency of an inorganic fibre depends on its size and persistency, and possibly also on other properties, especially on the surface. Nickel powder, nickel oxide, nickel subsulfide and cadmium sulfide were all found to be carcinogenic in the two tests. Cadmium chloride and cadmium oxide could only be administered in very low doses because of their high acute toxicity. A high amount of magnetite (15 X 15 mg i.tr.) led to an unexpected lung tumour incidence of 69%. The i.p. test in rats proved to be very sensitive for detecting the carcinogenic potency of non-acute toxic natural and man-made mineral dusts as well as metal compounds. This means that, if a high dose of one of these dusts does not induce tumours in this test, no suspicion of carcinogenic potency can be substantiated.
