Characterization of inhaled asbestos fibers in the lung of baboons

Conference · Fri Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 1991 · FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States)

OSTI ID:5173339

Murai, Y; Hiroshima, K; Suzuki, Y; Goldstein, B; Webster, I ^[1]

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1. Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY (United States) National Center for Occupational Health, Johannesburg (South Africa)

The histopathological changes of the lungs of 7 baboons after exposure to asbestos fibers were studied, and the size distribution of the fibers was determined by electron microscopy using 25 {mu} paraffin sections and low temperature-ashing method. The size distribution of the fibers in four locations in the lung, peribronchiolar area, alveolar area, subpleural area, and interlobular connective tissue was studied. Both amosite and chrysotile induced pulmonary asbestosis and pleural thickening. Asbestosis occurred more severely in amosite-exposed animals than in chrysotile-exposed ones, and one pleural mesothelioma was found 49 months after exposure to amosite and after another 59 months of recovery in non-dusting conditions. The length, width and aspect ratios of the UICC standard sample fibers used had geometric means (G.M.) of 3.3 {mu} 0.28 {mu}, 11.8 for amosite and 1.1 {mu}, 0.12{mu}, 9.8 for chrysotile. As a whole, intrapulmonary amosite fibers were shorter than the UICC standard samples in the four baboons dusted. After 48 months exposure with or without recovery, amosite fibers found in the lungs were thinner when compared to the standard samples. For chrysotile, the length of fibers after 13 months and 26 months exposure was longer than those of standard samples of 8.5 months exposure. After inhalation, the width of the chrysotile fibers were thinner than the standard sample fibers. The size distribution of amosite fibers found in the lung and in the mesotheliomatous tissue was not significantly different.

• OSTI ID: 5173339
• Report Number(s): CONF-9104107--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States) Journal Volume: 5:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
ASBESTOS
BABOONS
BODY
DISEASES
INHALATION
INTAKE
LUNGS
MAMMALS
MONKEYS
ORGANS
PARTICLE SIZE
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PRIMATES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SIZE
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES