The Action of Variable Amounts of Quartz on the Lungs of Rats: The Extent of Pathological Change in Relation to the Amount Injected

Abstract

By intratracheal injn. the effects of doses of 2,5, 10, 30 and 75 mg. of a quartz suspension were studied on the lungs of rats. The particle sizes of the quartz were 0.25-6.8[mu]. The rate and severity with which quartz acts varies with the amt. Small amts. of quartz are mostly cleared from the lungs and produce fibrosis in the lymph nodes only. With larger amts. the lymphatic drainage is insufficient to remove the dust from the lungs where it remains to produce its characteristic fibrotic reaction.