Effect of asbestos on the P388D1 macrophagelike cell line: preliminary ultrastructural observations

The ultrastructural effects of mineral dusts on a macrophagelike cell line (P388D1) were studied by transmission electron microscopy. The cells were found to contain virus particles which probably did not exert a cytopathic effect toward the cells. During mitosis the asbestos fibers appeared to be pushed to the periphery of the cell. The distribution of the asbestos in the P388D1 cells was similar to that seen previously in cultured peritoneal macrophages, and it was concluded that the cytotoxic effect of asbestos towards the cells was due to mechanical effects, e.g., by penetrating structures such as the nucleus or phagosomes, by preventing the ordered movement of organelles with the cell or by disrupting the cytoskeletal framework of the cell.