Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Penetration of Asbestos through the Digestive Tract of Rats

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

MESOTHELIOMAS of the pleura and peritoneum1–3 have been linked with the inhalation of asbestos fibres. We have shown4 that asbestos fibres are present in drinking water, beer, wine and other beverages. Asbestos fibres can penetrate the mucosa of the stomach and intestine5 and Telischi and Rubenstone6 have found asbestos material in a gastric carcinoma. Godwin and Jagatic7, reporting on mesotheliomas of the pleura caused by asbestos, noted that asbestos particles were widely distributed in various tissues. They suggested that particles may migrate from the lung through the blood and lymphatic system to all parts of the body. In the light of these reports, we surmised that asbestos consumed orally can pass through the gut into the blood stream and accumulate in various tissues.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hourihane, D. O. B., Thorax, 19, 268 (1965).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Hourihane, D. O. B., Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 132, 647 (1965).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lynch, K. M., and Smith, W. A., Amer. J. Cancer, 24, 56 (1935).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Cunningham, H. M., and Pontefract, R. D., Nature, 232, 332 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Selikoff, I. J., Churg, J., and Hammond, E. C., J. Amer. Med. Assoc., 188, 674 (1964).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Telischi, M., and Rubenstone, A. I., Arch. Pathol., 72 (1961).

  7. Godwin, M. C., and Jagatic, J., Environ. Res., 3, 391 (1970).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Keal, E. E., Lancet, ii, 1211 (1960).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Protection Branch, Department of National Health and Welfare, Food Research Laboratories, Ottawa

    R. D. PONTEFRACT & H. M. CUNNINGHAM

Authors
  1. R. D. PONTEFRACT
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. M. CUNNINGHAM
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

PONTEFRACT, R., CUNNINGHAM, H. Penetration of Asbestos through the Digestive Tract of Rats. Nature 243, 352–353 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/243352a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/243352a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation