Inhalation Studies of Nickel Sulfide in Pulmonary Carcinogenesis of Rats2

Authors:
  • AOA. D. Ottolenghi
    A. D. Ottolenghi
  • JHJ. K. Haseman
    J. K. Haseman
  • WPW. W. Payne
    W. W. Payne
  • HFH. L. Falk
    H. L. Falk
  • HMH. N. MacFarland
    H. N. MacFarland
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Abstract
Two hundred twenty-six specific pathogenfree male and female F344 rats were exposed to nickel sulfide inhalations for 78 weeks (5 days/wk, 6 hr /day) and observed for an additional 30-week period. For the same amount of time, 241 rats were exposed to filtered room air and served as controls. Rats exposed to nickel sulfide showed a significantly higher incidence of pulmonary hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions originating from the bronchial and bronchiolo-alveolar segments. The overall incidence of lung tumors in the animals treated with nickel sulfide was 14% compared with 1% in the controls. Pulmonary inflammatory reactions were also greatly increased. Injection of an agent (hexachlorotetrafluorobutane) that induced lung infarction did not increase the proportion of animals having lesions, nor did it alter the type of lesions found in animals exposed to nickel sulfide.