Toxicity of monazite particulates and its attenuation with a complex of bio-protectors.
BACKGROUND
Workers employed on mining, processing and storage of monazite are at risk of exposure to dust with expected adverse health effects.


OBJECTIVE
To study the adverse health effects of monazite particles in experiments on rats and to test the possibility of attenuating these effects.


METHODS
Outbred white rats were injected intratracheally with a suspension of ground monazite concentrate (MC) in order to investigate the cellular response of the lower airways 24 hours later and the organism's status 6 months after the injection. The bio-protective complex (BPC) tested in these experiments consisted of glutamate, an iodine preparation, methionine, a polyvitamin-polymineral composition, and/or "Eicosavitol" (fish oil preparation rich in PUFA, predominantly of the omega 3-group). Bio-protectors were administered together with the rat food and drink daily for one month before the MC injection in the short-term experiment, or over 6 months after such injection in the long-term experiment.


RESULTS
MC induced manifestations of its cytotoxicity, fibrogenicity and systemic toxicity as well as genotoxicity. The tested BPC attenuated virtually all these effects. Although a similar protective potential of "Eicosavitol" against almost all of them was lower compared with that of BPC, combining BPC with "Eicosavitol" provided, as a rule, the greatest protective effect.


CONCLUSIONS
It may be assumed that the many-sided adverse effects of MC on the organism is due, at least partially, to the presence in its composition of not only rare earth elements but also of natural radioisotopes of the thorium and uranium families. The combination of the bio-protectors tested was highly effective and may be recommended for administering in periodic preventive programmes to exposed workers.
Katsnelson
B A
BA
Medical Research Center for Prophylaxis and Health Protection in Industrial Workers, Ekaterinburg, Russia. bkaznelson@ymrc.ru
Yeremenko
Olga S
OS
Privalova
Larissa I
LI
Makeyev
O H
OH
Degtyareva
Tamara D
TD
Beresneva
Olga Yu
OY
Valamina
Irene E
IE
Minihaliyeva
Ilzira A
IA
Sutunkova
Marina P
MP
Kireyeva
Ekaterina P
EP
Bukhantsev
V A
VA
Dovzenko
E I
EI
Minin
V V
VV
Kulikov
E S
ES
Kostykova
Svetlana V
SV
Nazukin
A S
AS
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007455:Iodine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008674:Metals, Rare Earth / Q000633:toxicity*; D008715:Methionine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008903:Minerals / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011292:Premedication; D051381:Rats; D013910:Thorium / Q000009:adverse effects; D014132:Trachea; D014501:Uranium / Q000009:adverse effects; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000975:Antioxidants; D005395:Fish Oils; D008674:Metals, Rare Earth; D008903:Minerals; D052638:Particulate Matter; D014815:Vitamins; C015370:monazite; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D014501:Uranium; D013910:Thorium; D007455:Iodine; D008715:Methionine