Mesothelial reaction to asbestos and other irritants after intraperitoneal injection

Abstract

Ten groups of rats were injected intraperitoneally with one of the following suspensions; standard reference crocidolite; acid treated crocidolite; crocidolite + iron oxide; crocidolite + silica; iron oxide; silica; long fiber crocidolite; short fiber crocidolite; long fiber glass and short fiber glass. Two rats from each group were killed at 45, 90, 150, 240 and 330 days respectively, and the pathology induced by the different suspensions was studied histologically at each time interval. No evidence in support of the chemical induction theory of mechanical irritation theory in the pathogenesis of peritoneal mesotheliomas could be found, although all the suspensions except iron oxide caused a reactive mesothelium.