Cytotoxic and hemolytic action of coal-quartz mixtures

The effect of coal-quartz mixtures that contained graded amounts of coal or quartz was studied using peritoneal macrophage cultures and plasma-free washed sheep erythrocyte suspensions. A stoichiometric relationship was observed between the quartz content of coal-quartz mixture and the amount of lactic dehydrogenase liberated extracellularly and acid dye uptake by macrophage monolayers. Total lactic dehydrogenase of the monolayers plus supernatant remained unaltered following exposure to different dust mixtures. Dusts containing a higher concentration of quartz also produced a greater degree of hemolysis. Coal did not inhibit the quartz-induced macrophage cytotoxicity or erythrocyte hemolysis.