Neoplasia Experimentally Induced by Beryllium Compounds

Abstract

Of 7 beryllium compounds studied in 38 experiments in 7 mammalian species, BeSO/sub 4/, BeF/sub 2/, BeHPO/sub 4/, Be ZnMnSiO/sub 4/, and BeO were proved carcinogenic. Ten histologic varieties of malignant tumors were found, including adenocarcinoma (acinar, palligerous, mucigerous), epidermoid carcinoma (with and without keratinization), mixed carcinoma, pleural mesothelioma, and alveolar cell carcinoma (intramural, deciduous, intra-alveolar). Reticulum cell sarcoma of lymph nodes and osteogenic sarcoma also occurred. Tumors were successfully homotransplanted through 5 generations. A close parallel between the progressively accumulated Be in lung tissue and occurrence of lung cancers was established by means of serial spectrographic analyses. The enhanced presence of Be in the lung coincided with greatly increased prevalence of lung cancers at this time. Exposure to ZnMnBeSiO/sub 4/ (a fluorescent tube phosphor) carried a relatively high mortality and evoked a number of pulmonary lesions prior to the emergence of new growths. Focal cellular reactions, inIlammatory processes, emphysema, and abscess formation were induced by the inhaled ZnMnBeSiO/ sub 4/, and tumors appeared only after all of the lesions already were abundantly present. Cessation of Be exposure after one month had little influence on the rate of occurrence of either the accessory reactions or on the emergence of lungmore » tumors, but focal lesions were decidedly less prevalent. (P.C.H.)« less