In vitro cytological and cytogenetic effects of an Indian variety of chrysotile asbestos

Our plain-English summary of In vitro cytological and cytogenetic effects of an Indian variety of chrysotile asbestos, by K.A. Babu, B.C. Lakkad, S.K. Nigam, et al (Environmental Research, 1980).

The study

• Authors: K.A. Babu, B.C. Lakkad, S.K. Nigam, D.K. Bhatt, A.B. Karnik, K.N. Thakore, S.K. Kashyap, S.K. Chatterjee
• Journal: Environmental Research
• Published: 1980;21(2):416-22
• Cited by: 28 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

The cytotoxic and cytogenetic effects of chrysotile asbestos (Indian Variety, AP-I) in vitro on Chinese hamster ovary cells were investigated. Chrysotile asbestos (AP-I) produces high vacuolization of cytoplasm, flattening of cells with increased size, and chromosomal aberrations. Both cytological and cytogenetic studies were dependent upon the dose and the period of exposure to chrysotile asbestos.

PubMed has no abstract for this study. This is the authors' abstract, copied from the article.

In plain English

In this laboratory experiment, the authors exposed Chinese hamster ovary cells to a chrysotile asbestos sample mined in Andhra Pradesh, India, labelled AP-I. In the authors' chemical analysis of Indian samples, AP-I contained more magnesium and silicon than the others. Fine fibers were tested at 10, 25, 50, 100 or 200 micrograms per millilitre. Treated cells gradually degenerated: they flattened, their cytoplasm filled with vacuoles, and their nuclei showed hyperpyknosis. These changes were related to dose and duration of exposure and were not seen in control cultures. They were greatest at 100 and 200 micrograms per millilitre and appeared within 12 hours, and cell death was seen from 24 hours onward. After 24 hours, cells showed chromosome damage, including gaps, breaks, exchanges, ring chromosomes and pulverization. Aberrations increased with dose. At 100 micrograms per millilitre and above, however, the share of abnormal dividing cells fell, which the authors suggested may be because badly damaged cells could not divide. The authors concluded that AP-I showed the same type of cytotoxic effects reported for samples from other countries and suggested precautions in handling it.

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: In vitro laboratory experiment on a cultured cell line
• Who was studied: Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line obtained from the National Institute of Virology, Poona, India; no humans or live animals were studied
• Exposure: Chrysotile asbestos from Andhra Pradesh, India (sample AP-I). It was sieved, extracted with hot benzene, and separated to keep very fine fibers. It was then added to cultures at concentrations of 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 micrograms per millilitre (the unit is given in the Table 2 heading and the Figure 2 caption).
• Main results:
  • In the authors' chemical analysis of Indian asbestos samples, the AP-I sample contained higher concentrations of magnesium and silicon than the other samples
  • Cultures exposed to AP-I showed gradual degenerative changes related to dose and duration of exposure
  • Cell flattening and cytoplasmic vacuolization were maximal at the higher concentrations of 100 and 200 micrograms per millilitre and within 12 hours of exposure, and became more pronounced with longer exposure
  • Nuclei of treated cells showed hyperpyknosis; these changes were not seen in control cultures
  • Cell death was observed from 24 hours onward
  • After 24 hours of exposure, chromosomal aberrations included chromatid gaps, breaks, exchange figures, ring chromosomes, and partial and total pulverization
  • Total chromosomal aberrations and the relative number of metaphases with affected chromosomes increased with increasing asbestos concentration
  • At 100 micrograms per millilitre and above, the relative percentage of abnormal metaphases decreased. The authors suggested this may be because extreme damage kept the most affected cells from dividing.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the AP-I sample showed the same type of cytotoxic effects as reported for several samples in other countries, and suggested that all possible precautions be taken in handling AP-I Indian asbestos
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors stated that their investigation could not pinpoint the causes of the chromosomal aberrations

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Chrysotile.

Related studies

• Cytogenetic studies on chrysotile asbestos — K.S. Lavappa, M.M. Fu, et al. (1975)
• 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)
• Cytogenetic and pathogenic effects of long and short amosite asbestos — K. Donaldson, N. Golyasnya (1995)
• Chromosomal aberrations induced by chrysotile and crocidolite in human lymphocytes in vitro — F. Valerio, M. de Ferrari, et al. (1983)
• Metsovo-tremolite asbestos fibres: in vitro effects on mutation, chromosome aberration, cell transformation and intercellular communication — K. Athanasiou, S.H. Constantopoulos, et al. (1992)
• In vitro chromosomal aberrations induced by various shapes of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) — T. Sasaki, M. Asakura, et al. (2016)

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