Abstract
Summary
The effect of the engulfment of crystalline and non-crystalline silica dusts and anthracite on oxygen uptake, glycolysis and amino acid incorporation into protein of rat peritoneal macrophages was studied. A marked inhibition of these processes occurs in presence of silica dusts, tridymite being the most effective. The effects on oxygen consumption and glycolysis but not on amino acid incorporation almost disappear when results are correlated to the number of viable cells. Anthracite slightly stimulates macrophage metabolism in anaerobic conditions. It is suggested that protein synthesis is the primary site at which silica particles exert their toxic action.
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