Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Industrial Medicine logoLink to British Journal of Industrial Medicine
. 1978 May;35(2):135–145. doi: 10.1136/oem.35.2.135

Experimental asbestosis: an investigation of functional and pathological disturbances. II. Results for chrysolite and amosite exposure*

D M Hiett 1,†
PMCID: PMC1008367  PMID: 656338

Abstract

ABSTRACT Long-term studies of respiratory function and lung morphology were carried out on control groups of guinea pigs and matched groups exposed by inhalation to asbestos dust. Animals were exposed to aerosols of chrysotile or amosite asbestos containing large numbers of short fibres, for either 9 or 18 days. Resistance and dynamic compliance of the guinea pig respiratory system were measured non-destructively, while the point counting technique was applied to the histological preparations. Under these exposure conditions the extent of pathological and functional changes were not related to differences in duration of exposure. Such changes were more marked, however, in animals exposed at eight rather than three months of age. The measurement of dynamic compliance provided the most sensitive assessment of the functional disturbances, which were more extensive following chrysotile exposure. Progressive peribronchiolar fibrosis developed about 40 weeks after chrysotile exposure at eight months of age, but not until about 70 weeks for animals exposed when three months old. No fibrotic reaction was seen during the 70 weeks of the amosite experiments. The relationships between pathological and functional changes throughout these experiments are discussed, and explanations for the apparent differences in fibrogenicity between chrysotile and amosite are suggested. Early detection of asbestosis may be aided by use of lung function tests known to be sensitive to small airways disease.

Full text

PDF
135

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Allison A. C. Lysosomes and the toxicity of particulate pollutants. Arch Intern Med. 1971 Jul;128(1):131–139. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brain J. D. The effects of increased particles on the number of alveolar macrophages. Inhaled Part. 1970;1:209–225. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Conning D. M., Hayes M. J., Styles J. A., Nicholas J. A. Comparison between in vitro toxicity of dusts of certain polymers and minerals and their fibrogenicity. Inhaled Part. 1970;1:499–506. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Davis J. M. The effects of chrysotile asbestos dust on lung macrophages maintained in organ culture. An electron-microscope study. Br J Exp Pathol. 1967 Aug;48(4):379–385. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gracey D. R., Divertie M. B., Brown A. L., Jr The blood-air barrier in pulmonary asbestosis: study of a case by electron microscopy. Chest. 1973 Jan;63(1):46–51. doi: 10.1378/chest.63.1.46. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gross P., De Treville R. T. Experimental asbestosis. Studies on the progressiveness of the pulmonary fibrosis caused by chrysotile dust. Arch Environ Health. 1967 Nov;15(5):638–649. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1967.10664980. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HOLT P. F., MILLS J., YOUNG D. K. THE EARLY EFFECTS OF CHRYSOTILE ASBESTOS DUST ON THE RAT LUNG. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1964 Jan;87:15–23. doi: 10.1002/path.1700870103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Harington J. S., Miller K., Macnab G. Hemolysis by asbestos. Environ Res. 1971 Apr;4(2):95–117. doi: 10.1016/0013-9351(71)90038-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Heppleston A. G. Observations on the mechanism of silicotic fibrogenesis. Inhaled Part. 1970;1:357–371. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hogg J. C., Macklem P. T., Thurlbeck W. M. Site and nature of airway obstruction in chronic obstructive lung disease. N Engl J Med. 1968 Jun 20;278(25):1355–1360. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196806202782501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Holt P. F., Mills J., Young D. K. Experimental asbestosis in the guinea-pig. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1966 Jul;92(1):185–195. doi: 10.1002/path.1700920119. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hourihane D. O., McCaughey W. T. Pathological aspects of asbestosis. Postgrad Med J. 1966 Oct;42(492):613–622. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.42.492.613. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. LABELLE C. W., BRIEGER H. Synergistic effects of aerosols. II. Effects on rate of clearance from the lung. AMA Arch Ind Health. 1959 Aug;20(2):100–105. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. MARKS J., NAGELSCHMIDT G. Study of the toxicity of dust with use of the in vitro dehydrogenase technique. AMA Arch Ind Health. 1959 Nov;20:383–389. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Muir D. C., Davies C. N. The deposition of 0.5 microns diameter aerosols in the lungs of man. Ann Occup Hyg. 1967 Jul;10(3):161–174. doi: 10.1093/annhyg/10.3.161. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Paintal A. S. Mechanism of stimulation of type J pulmonary receptors. J Physiol. 1969 Aug;203(3):511–532. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008877. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Rasche B. Reactions of alveolar macrophages during short-term dust exposure with and without various pharmacological substances (glucocorticoids and PVN-oxide). Inhaled Part. 1970;1:391–401. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Robock K., Klosterkötter W. Biological action of different asbestos dusts with special respect to fibre length and semiconductor properties. Inhaled Part. 1970;1:465–475. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Sanchis J., Dolovich M., Chalmers R., Newhouse M. T. Regional distribution and lung clearance mechanisms in smokers and non-smokers. Inhaled Part. 1970;1:183–191. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. WAGNER J. C. Asbestosis in experimental animals. Br J Ind Med. 1963 Jan;20:1–12. doi: 10.1136/oem.20.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. WILLIAMS W. J. Alveolar metaplasia: its relationship to pulmonary fibrosis in industry and the development of lung cancer. Br J Cancer. 1957 Mar;11(1):30–42. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1957.5. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Wagner J. C., Skidmore J. W. Asbestos dust deposition and retention in rats. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1965 Dec 31;132(1):77–86. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1965.tb41091.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Woolcock A. J., Vincent N. J., Macklem P. T. Frequency dependence of compliance as a test for obstruction in the small airways. J Clin Invest. 1969 Jun;48(6):1097–1106. doi: 10.1172/JCI106066. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Zaidi S. H., Shanker R., Dogra R. K. Experimental studies on early stages of the development of pulmonary silicosis in pups. Environ Res. 1971 Aug;4(3):243–252. doi: 10.1016/0013-9351(71)90026-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Industrial Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES