Pulmonary toxicology of silica, coal and asbestos
Mineral particles are customarily inhaled as mixtures, though one component may predominate and determine the response. Although the lesions often possess a characteristic structure, according to the main type of particle deposited, morphology affords little indication of pathogenesis. Being a major element in the evolution of dust lesions, macrophage behavior has been examined extensively in vitro after treatment with mineral particles, attention being directed to membrane and biochemical changes; however, no clear lead to the origin of the lesions has emerged. Pulmonary fibrosis, as one of the ultimate consequences of dust accumulation, required a direct in vitro approach in which the products of the macrophage-particle interaction were utilized to provoke collagen formation by fibroblasts in a two-phase system. By this means, silica and asbestos stimulated connective tissue formation and application of the technique to coal dusts appears promising. Coal workers may develop a peculiar type of emphysema in relation to lesions whose fibrous content is comparatively small. Type II alveolar epithelium is also stimulated by inhaled particles and lipid accumulation follows. Alveolar lipidosis interferes with the fibrotic response by preventing contact between macrophage and particles. This phenomenon may account in part for anomalies, apparent in coal workers, between epidemiological findings and dust composition. Carcinogenesis is a well-recognized feature of asbestos exposure, but, as with fibrosis, risk prediction on the basis of in vitro tests of cytotoxicity is premature and may not be valid. 197 references.
- Research Organization:
- Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh, Scotland
- OSTI ID:
- 5516787
- Journal Information:
- Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States), Vol. 55
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ASBESTOS
TOXICITY
COAL
LUNGS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
MIXTURES
SILICA
CARCINOGENESIS
DUSTS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
EPITHELIUM
FIBROSIS
IN VITRO
INHALATION
MACROPHAGES
PARTICULATES
REVIEWS
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMAL TISSUES
BODY
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DISPERSIONS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INTAKE
MATERIALS
MINERALS
ORGANS
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PATHOGENESIS
PHAGOCYTES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SOMATIC CELLS
TISSUES
560306* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Man- (-1987)
016000 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Health & Safety