Genetic effects of crocidolite asbestos in Chinese hamster lung cells

Our plain-English summary of Genetic effects of crocidolite asbestos in Chinese hamster lung cells, by S.L. Huang, D. Saggioro, H. Michelmann, et al (Mutation Research, 1978).

The study

• Authors: S.L. Huang, D. Saggioro, H. Michelmann, H.V. Malling
• Journal: Mutation Research
• Published: 1978;57(2):225-32
• Cited by: 53 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Chinese hamster lung cells cultured in the presence of crocidolite asbestos displayed inhibition of cell growth. Cell death was directly associated with the phagocytosis of larger fibres as observed with the aid of trypan blue. Water soluble components of crocidolite did not appear to inhibit cell growth. Chromosomal aberrations were induced by the asbestos. The aberrations were confined mainly to structural aberrations--breaks and fragments. Electron-microscopic preparation indicated that asbestos was readily contained in phagosomes. Phagocytosed asbestos appeared to be a weak mutagen in its ability to induce gene mutation at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase locus.

In plain English

This laboratory study exposed Chinese hamster lung cells grown in dishes to crocidolite asbestos. It did not study people or live animals. Cell growth fell as the amount of asbestos rose, and growth stopped completely at 30 micrograms per square centimetre of untreated fibre. Washed asbestos was similarly toxic, but the water-soluble components of the asbestos did not appear to kill cells. Electron microscopy showed that the cells took up asbestos, which was held in small sacs (phagosomes) inside them. After 24 hours at 5 micrograms per square centimetre, 19.0% of 190 examined cells had structural chromosome damage, compared with 5.9% of 152 untreated cells. The damage was mainly breaks and fragments, and the authors reported the rise as statistically significant. The chromosome damage was not linked to fibres visible under the microscope. In tests for gene mutation, cells containing asbestos had a statistically higher mutation frequency than control cells in one experiment, but not in two others. The authors concluded that crocidolite asbestos appeared to be a weak mutagen.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Laboratory (in vitro) experiment on cultured cells. It measured cell killing, uptake of fibres, chromosome damage and gene mutation.
• Who was studied: Chinese hamster lung cells grown in culture, obtained from the American Tissue Culture Collection
• Exposure: Crocidolite asbestos, autoclaved and suspended in sterile distilled water, added to the cell cultures. The chromosome and mutation tests used 24-hour exposures. Untreated, washed, and water-soluble extract forms were compared for toxicity.
• Main results:
  • In the cell cultures, growth was completely inhibited at a concentration of 30 micrograms per square centimetre of untreated fibre.
  • Water-soluble components of the asbestos did not appear to kill cells.
  • After 24 hours of exposure, phagosomes containing asbestos dust were seen inside the cells.
  • At 5 micrograms per square centimetre, the article reports an overall aberration incidence of 16.6%, significantly higher than the control at the 0.1% level by a chi-square test.
  • Table 1 figures. In 190 cells exposed at 5 micrograms per square centimetre, 76.8% had normal chromosomes, 4.2% had numerical aberrations and 19.0% had structural aberrations. In 152 control cells, the figures were 93.4%, 0.7% and 5.9%.
  • The main chromosome abnormalities were fragments and breaks.
  • Chromosome damage was not associated with large fibres visible under the microscope.
  • Asbestos-containing cells, separated by settling, had a statistically higher mutation frequency than control cells in one experiment but not in two others.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that crocidolite asbestos appeared to be a weak mutagen in these cells.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors state that existing gene-mutation test systems do not appear sensitive enough to show a large degree of mutagenicity by asbestos fibres.
  • Although chromosome damage was not linked to visible fibres, the authors note that a role for submicroscopic particles cannot be ruled out.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Crocidolite, Phagocytosis.

Related studies

• Amosite, chrysotile and crocidolite asbestos are mutagenic in Chinese hamster lung cells — S.L. Huang (1979)
• Cytotoxicity and multinucleate giant cell formation in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast caused by crocidolite and chrysotile — Y.C. Hong, S.S. Choi (1997)
• Induction of chromosome changes in Chinese hamster cells by exposure to asbestos fibres — A. Sincock, M. Seabright (1975)
• Effects of asbestos fibers on cell division, cell survival, and formation of thioguanine-resistant mutants in Chinese hamster ovary cells — K. Kenne, S. Ljungquist, et al. (1986)
• A comparison of the cytogenetic response to asbestos and glass fibre in Chinese hamster and human cell lines. Demonstration of growth inhibition in primary human fibroblasts — A.M. Sincock, J.D. Delhanty, et al. (1982)
• Effect of mineral dusts on metabolic cooperation between Chinese hamster V79 cells in vitro — M. Chamberlain (1983)

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