The cytotoxicity of UICC and modified asbestos fibres in vitro.

Samples of asbestos were tested for their potential to damage P388D1 cells and erythrocytes. The results obtained using the two systems were generally in agreement, with the amphibole being less cytotoxic and haemolytic than the chrysotile samples. Fibre length distributions for the chrysotile samples were relatively similar, so that, for this material, cytotoxicity and fibre length could not be correlated. However, some relationship was seen with amosite samples. Although there was agreement in some cases between cytotoxicity in vitro and the numbers of mesotheliomas produced in rats during a separate study using the same dusts, this relationship was not obvious for many of the samples tested.