title: Toxicity of monazite particulates and its attenuation with a complex of bio-protectors.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Center for Prophylaxis and Health Protection in Industrial Workers, Ekaterinburg, Russia. bkaznelson@ymrc.ru
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Katsnelson
authors.forename: Olga S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Yeremenko
authors.forename: Larissa I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Privalova
authors.forename: O H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Makeyev
authors.forename: Tamara D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Degtyareva
authors.forename: Olga Yu
authors.initials: OY
authors.lastname: Beresneva
authors.forename: Irene E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Valamina
authors.forename: Ilzira A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Minihaliyeva
authors.forename: Marina P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sutunkova
authors.forename: Ekaterina P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Kireyeva
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Bukhantsev
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Dovzenko
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Minin
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Kulikov
authors.forename: Svetlana V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kostykova
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Nazukin
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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