Tolerance of mouse macrophages in vitro to barium sulfate used in orthopedic bone cement.

Barium sulfate, used as a radio-opaque marker in some orthopedic bone cements, has been shown to escape into the surrounding tissues. This may present a potential hazard. In particular, phagocytic cells may be exposed to relatively high internal levels of barium once the particles have been phagocytosed. Mouse peritoneal macrophages exposed to barium sulfate for periods up to 144 hr showed a marked cytoplasmic vacuolization from which they recovered only partially. Barium sulfate did not appear to damage the cell membrane as judged by lactice dehydrogenase release. In the relatively low doses and with the periods of exposure described here, barium sulfate does not appear to present a serious toxic hazard in the short term. It is possible, however, that longer exposures and larger doses may result in the death of phagocytic cells which have ingested barium sulfate.