Study of the cell-transforming ability of amosite and crocidolite asbestos and the ability to induce changes in the metabolism and macromolecular binding of benzo(a)pyrene in C3H10T1/2 cells.

The cell transforming ability of asbestos dusts was investigated using C3H10T1/2 murine fibroblasts. In a series of experiments, crocidolite and amosite caused no increase in the number of transformed colonies over that seen in cultures from untreated cells. The dusts were, however, capable of augmenting the oncogenic effect of benzo(a)pyrene. This synergistic effect was evident when fibers and chemicals were added to cultures as simple mixtures and when benzo(a)pyrene was adsorbed to the surface of fibers. Asbestos dust did not, however, appear to exert its oncogenic enhancing effect by modifying the metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene in C3H10T1/2 cells.