The effect of soluble silica on the metabolism of rat-tissue preparations

Abstract

Soluble silica (0.02 M), which includes 0.003 M-mono- and di-silicic acids, and higher polymers (0.017 M), prolonged the respiration of rat-liver homogenates with fumarate and L-malate. Highly polymerized silicic acid was responsible for this effect. Soluble silica had no effect on the respiration of slices of rat liver, kidney, spleen or lung, nor on urea or acetoacetate formation in liver slices. A slight increase in aerobic glycolysis was observed with slices of liver, spleen and lung in the presence of soluble silica. Implications of these negative findings with tissue slices for the solubility theory of silicosis are discussed.