title: Bioaccumulation of metals from nickel smelter waste in P and F1 generation of exposed animals. Part III. Morphological responses.
abstract: Inhalation exposure experiments were conducted on a group of female adult Chinchilla rabbits placed in a field biomonitoring station located downwind from dumped nickel refinery wastes. Their F1 generation offsprings were exposed prenatally and 6 weeks postnatally. After termination of exposure, both P and F1 generation rabbits were sacrificed, their organs removed and subjected to a histologic examination using light and electron microscopy techniques. The histological responses were most marked in P generation female rabbits, namely hypertrophy of the muscle layer of pulmonary artery walls and foci of atelactasis. Electron microscopic examinations of the myocardium of chamber-exposed rats revealed evidence of muscle fibre lesions at sites of intercalary discs and changes in mitochondrial structure as a result of accumulated Ni, Cr and/or other metals. Histologically remarkable was interstitial accumulation of an unidentified electron-dense crystalloid substance situated near blood capillaries and between myofibrils and collagenous fibres; this substance is believed to be a result of metal-protein interaction. The rats injected intravenously with a suspension of metal waste displayed mitochondrial lesions analogous to those observed after inhalation exposure, but no presence of the electron-dence substance could be noted. It is concluded that chronic exposure to metal waste may give rise to cardiovascular lesions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Biology and Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reichrtová
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sulicová
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Veselá
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bencko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001273:Atmosphere Exposure Chambers; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007220:Industrial Waste; D009206:Myocardium / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009532:Nickel / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D009532:Nickel