Connective tissue responses to some heavy metals. I. Sodium loaded ion exchange beads as a control: histology and ultrastructure.

Ion exchange resin beads (Amberlite IR-120) were implanted into loose connective tissue as the vehicle for cations in both control and experimental studies. Beads were loaded with sodium for control purposes or with the metal of interest for subsequent experimental studies. When single control beads were implanted in the loose connective tissue of the rat pinna, they were well accepted by tissue and permitted rapid healing. The bead implantation initially produced minimal inflammatory disruption and subsequent repair at the bead-tissue interface which rapidly matured leaving no fibro-collagenous capsule. Some minor geometric rearrangement occurred in the alignment of the connective tissue to compensate for the physical presence of the bead. This system provides a valid control for studies of the effects of metal cations on tissue inflammation and repair--free from anionic complications, surface phenomena or systemic interference.