Effect of Aluminium on the Silicosis-Producing Action of Inhaled Quartz

Abstract

-Rats were dusted experimentally with quartz alone or with quartz plus Al. Those animals dusted with quartz alone presented nodular reticulinosis from about the 200th day of dusting and fully developed collagenous silicosis from about the 300th day. At 200 days the rats dusted with quartz plus Al had almost no reticulinosis and only slight reticulinosis at 300 days. It appeared that the presence of 2% Al slowed the pathogenic action of quartz by approx. 200 days. Just as much quartz was found in the lungs of the Al-plus-quartz group as in the lungs of animals dusted with quartz alone.