Yeast cells long-term interaction with asbestos fibers

Our plain-English summary of Yeast cells long-term interaction with asbestos fibers, by F. Cassiola, R.A. Rogers, P.K. Kiyohara, et al (Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces, 2005).

The study

• Authors: F. Cassiola, R.A. Rogers, P.K. Kiyohara, I. Joekes
• Journal: Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces
• Published: 2005;41(4):277-83
• Cited by: 7 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Saccharomyces cerevisiae was supported on chrysotile, crocidolite and lixiviated chrysotile. Samples of the supported cells and free cells were observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. After 30 days, the free cells showed no viability when stored at 30 degrees C, and a viability of 40% when stored at 4 degrees C. Supported cells stored at 30 degrees C were more viable than the free cells at early times, but showed no viability after 30 days. Samples stored at 4 degrees C showed that the adhered cells are more viable than the free cells, up to 30 days. Cells supported on chrysotile and lixiviated chrysotile had 80% viability, and on crocidolite 70% viability. Scanning electron microscopy showed that cells supported on lixiviated chrysotile are fully covered by the support, but crocidolite fibers adhere less, since they are stiffer. Fermentation experiments performed after 3 years storage showed that four from the five lixiviated chrysotile samples and one of the three crocidolite samples were active. In all cases, a delay time for the onset of fermentation was observed indicating a state of latency.

In plain English

This laboratory experiment studied baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), not people or animals. Yeast cells were attached to chrysotile, crocidolite, or acid-leached ("lixiviated") chrysotile fibers. They were stored in a refrigerator (about 4 °C) or at 30 °C for 30 days, and a live/dead stain was used to count living cells. In the refrigerator, free (unattached) cells stayed above 40% viable, while cells on chrysotile stayed above 70%. Cells on crocidolite gave results comparable to chrysotile. At 30 °C, free cells fell to 6.6% viable by day 30, and no living cells were found on chrysotile after 19 days. Cells on lixiviated chrysotile were still 40% viable after 30 days. After long refrigerated storage, four of five lixiviated chrysotile samples (stored 4 years) and one of three crocidolite samples (stored 3 years) could still ferment, after delays of about 40 and 90 hours. The authors concluded that attached cells kept their viability better than free cells at 4 °C. They suggested that crocidolite's deforming of the cells and lower viability may be connected with its higher toxicity.

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 experiment on yeast cells attached to asbestos fibers: viability measured by confocal microscopy with a live/dead stain, surfaces examined by electron microscopy, and fermentation tests used as long-term survival tests
• Who was studied: Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) strain CCT3174. Samples were attached to fibers or left free, stored at about 4 °C or at 30 °C for 30 days, and prepared in triplicate. Some samples were stored 3 to 4 years for fermentation tests.
• Exposure: Contact with chrysotile 5R (Quebec Standard) supplied by a Brazilian company, crocidolite from South Africa, and lixiviated chrysotile (chrysotile leached for 3 days with hot fuming hydrochloric acid)
• Main results:
  • Free (unattached) cells stored at 4 °C stayed above 40% viable over the 30 days
  • Free cells stored at 30 °C fell to 6.6% viable by day 30
  • Cells on chrysotile stored at 4 °C stayed above 70% viable over the 30 days
  • Cells on chrysotile stored at 30 °C were more than 50% dead after 10 days, with no living cells found after 19 days
  • Viability of cells on crocidolite at 4 °C and 30 °C was comparable to cells on chrysotile
  • Cells on lixiviated chrysotile stored at 30 °C were 40% viable after 30 days
  • Four of five yeast/lixiviated chrysotile samples stored about 4 years were still able to ferment, needing roughly 40 hours to start
  • One of three yeast/crocidolite samples stored 3 years was able to ferment, needing some 90 hours to start
  • After 90 days of refrigerated storage, the number of cells attached to crocidolite fibers was drastically reduced
  • In the authors' interpretation, crocidolite fibers deformed the yeast cells and gave the smallest viability, which they said may be connected with crocidolite's higher toxicity
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that cells attached to the fibers showed increased viability compared with free cells when kept at 4 °C, and that at 30 °C only cells on lixiviated chrysotile showed this

Topics

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

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Chrysotile, Crocidolite, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Latency.

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