Mechanism of haemolysis by chrysotile fibres

Our plain-English summary of Mechanism of haemolysis by chrysotile fibres, by M.C. Jaurand, L. Magne, J. Bignon (Toxicology Letters, 1983).

The study

• Authors: M.C. Jaurand, L. Magne, J. Bignon
• Journal: Toxicology Letters
• Published: 1983;15(2-3):205-11
• Cited by: 9 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Haemolysis by chrysotile fibres may be related to an adsorption of the red blood cell (RBC) membranes on the fibres and not to an interaction between magnesium (Mg) from the fibres and sialic acid from RBC. This was demonstrated using neuraminidase (NANASE)-treated RBC and Mg-depleted chrysotile fibres. The mechanism may be extended to other minerals since a relationship can be obtained between the ability of various minerals to adsorb liposomes of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and their haemolytic activity.

In plain English

This French laboratory study examined how chrysotile asbestos fibres break open human red blood cells (haemolysis) in a test tube. The authors compared two explanations: magnesium in the fibres interacting with sialic acid on the cell surface, or cell membranes sticking to (adsorbing onto) the fibres. Using red blood cells from healthy donors, the authors removed sialic acid from some cells with the enzyme neuraminidase and removed magnesium from some UICC Rhodesian chrysotile with acid. Removing sialic acid lowered or slightly changed the early speed of haemolysis but changed the maximum haemolysis little. Magnesium-depleted chrysotile also slowed early haemolysis without changing the maximum. Each mg of chrysotile adsorbed 155 plus or minus 27 micrograms (mean and standard error) of a model membrane fat (DPPC). Each mg of magnesium-depleted chrysotile adsorbed 149 plus or minus 18 micrograms (standard error, four experiments). Across several minerals, including crocidolite, quartz and fibrous brucite, the most adsorptive particles were the most haemolytic. The authors concluded that haemolysis by chrysotile may be related to membrane adsorption onto the fibres, not to the magnesium and sialic acid interaction.

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 (human red blood cells and mineral particles in the test tube)
• Who was studied: Red blood cells from healthy human donors, some treated with neuraminidase. Mineral samples: UICC Rhodesian chrysotile, acid-treated (magnesium-depleted) chrysotile, superfine chrysotile, crocidolite, fibrous brucite and two quartz samples (DQ12 and Quartz de Fontainebleau). Laboratory in Créteil, France; received 1982.
• Exposure: UICC Rhodesian chrysotile fibres, untreated and magnesium-depleted by treatment with 0.1 N oxalic acid, plus other minerals for comparison. Fibres were also mixed with DPPC liposomes (model cell membranes).
• Main results:
  • Red blood cells treated with neuraminidase (sialic acid removed): the initial speed of haemolysis by chrysotile was decreased or lightly modified, but maximal haemolysis was modified little.
  • Magnesium-depleted chrysotile: the initial speed of haemolysis decreased, but maximal haemolysis was not changed compared with normal chrysotile.
  • Phospholipid (DPPC) adsorbed per mg of fibre: 155 plus or minus 27 micrograms (standard error) for chrysotile and 149 plus or minus 18 micrograms (standard error) for magnesium-depleted chrysotile, over 4 experiments.
  • When different particles were compared, those that adsorbed the most DPPC were the most haemolytic.
  • Without fibres, haemolysis was below 3%. Haemolysis by chrysotile was self-limiting over time with both untreated and neuraminidase-treated cells.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that haemolysis by chrysotile fibres may be related to adsorption of red blood cell membranes on the fibres, not to an interaction between fibre magnesium and red cell sialic acid. They suggested the mechanism may extend to other minerals.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Chrysotile.

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

Related studies

• Chemical and photoelectron spectrometry analysis of the adsorption of phospholipid model membranes and red blood cell membranes on to chrysotile fibres — M.C. Jaurand, J.H. Thomassin, et al. (1980)
• Haemolysis during sample preparation alters microRNA content of plasma — M.B. Kirschner, S.C. Kao, et al. (2011)
• Inhibition by phospholipids of haemolytic action of asbestos — M.C. Jaurand, L. Magne, et al. (1979)
• The hemolytic activity of chrysotile asbestos fibers: a freeze-fracture study — J.P. Pelé, J. Dunnigan, et al. (1983)
• Hemolysis by chrysotile asbestos fibers. I. Influence of the sialic acid content in human, rat, and sheep red blood cell membranes — J.P. Pelé, R. Calvert (1983)
• Chromosomal changes induced by chrysotile fibres or benzo-3,4-pyrene in rat pleural mesothelial cells — M.C. Jaurand, L. Kheuang, et al. (1986)

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