Table 3. Percentages of control and chrysotile-treated HK2 cells in the different phases of the cell cycle.

	Hypodiploid%	G1%	S%	G2/M%	Hypertetraploid%
Control 4 days in culture	1.55	57.17	15.36	22.56	3.36
48 h chrysotile +2 days recovery	3.13*	45.86*	17.13	25.55*	8.33*
Control 6 days in culture	2.66	56.75	16.27	21.83	2.49
48 h chrysotile +4 days recovery	5.55*	43.69*	16.7	26.5*	7.57*
Control 12 days in culture	3.21	55.95	16.53	22.21	1.87
48 h chrysotile +8 days recovery	4.54	46.32*	13.06	30.96*	5.12*

Cells were treated with 125 µg/ml of chrysotile for 48 h and allowed to recover in fiber-free medium for 2, 4 and 8 days, and the cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. Chrysotile-treated cells showed higher numbers of G2/M and hyperdiploid cells compared with control cells in all three recovery periods. The treatment also led to lower numbers of G1 cells.

(*P<0.01).