Abstract
The biological activity of natural and synthetic mineral fibers has been examined. Natural attapulgite [(Mg, Al)2Si4O10(OH).4H20], synthetic xonotlite [Ca3Si3O8(OH)2] and natural sepiolite [Mg2Si3O8.2H2O] were selected. Genotoxic effects were investigated by means of a well established cellular model based upon the measurement of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in rat hepatocytes in primary culture. The intrinsic capacity of the fibers (1 and 10 µ/ml) to induce UDS was first tested. None of the fiber types showed detectable UDS-eliciting activity. Also, the possible modulation of the cellular response to genotoxic agents by the materials was examined by exposing the cells to mixtures of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) (0.05 and 0.25 µg/ml) and fibers (1 and 10 µg/ml). In these experiments, the UDS response was significantly diminished in the presence of xonotlite. This phenomenon may reflect changes in the uptake and/or metabolism of AAF or may result from an inhibition of DNA repair processes, the latter suggesting a possible cocarcinogenic potential for this synthetic silicate. These results point to the immediate necessity of studying more extensively the biological effects of fibrous materials that can be used as substitutes for asbestos.
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Abbreviations
- AAF:
-
2-acetylaminofluorene
- DMSO:
-
dimethyl-sulfoxide
- FBS:
-
fetal bovine serum
- IRDA:
-
Institut de Recherche et de Développement sur l'Amiante
- LDH:
-
lactate dehydrogenase
- UDS:
-
unscheduled
- DNA:
-
synthesis
- WME:
-
Williams' Medium E
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This work was supported by the Institut de Recherche et de Développement sur l'Amiante (IRDA), Sherbrooke, Canada.
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Denizeau, F., Marion, M., Chevalier, G. et al. Absence of genotoxic effects of nonasbestos mineral fibers. Cell Biol Toxicol 1, 23–32 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00717788
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00717788