ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC AND MORPHOMETRIC STUDY OF MONKEY AND DOG LUNGS EXPOSED TO BERYLLIUM-CONTAINING DUST

Abstract

Five monkeys and six dogs were exposed three times for 30 minutes each at monthly intervals to an atmosphere contaminated by a beryllium compound whose chief component was beryllium oxide. Two years after the exposure, the lungs of both test groups, as well as those of two control monkeys and two control dogs, were fixed and prepared for electron microscopic and morphometric analysis. Histologic examination revealed no fibrotic changes of pulmonary parenchyma in the exposed animals. The ultrastructure of lung tissue of exposed animals was identical to that of control animals in every respect. Neither the arithmetic nor the harmonic mean thickness of the air-blood-barrier were changed in the test animals; in particular it was not possible to demonstrate edematous or proliferative changes. It is concluded from the electron microscopic and morphometric examination of these lungs, that the beryllium compound investigated, essentially beryllium oxide, has not caused any pathological alterations in lung tissue two years after exposure.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1969
Accession Number
AD0695486

Entities

People

  • Carmen R. Conradi
  • Ewald R. Weibel
  • Roger L. Sopher
  • Yusuf Kapanci

Organizations

  • University of Bern

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Beryllium
  • Beryllium Compounds
  • Biomedical Research
  • Blood
  • Blood Vessels
  • Cells
  • Classification
  • Contracts
  • Electrons
  • Elements
  • Governments
  • Lung Diseases
  • Mast Cells
  • Tissues
  • Wounds And Injuries

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Immunology and Pathology
  • Surface Engineering/Surface Coating Technology.
  • Toxicology/Environmental Toxicology

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics