Preliminary studies in the toxicity of beryllium; the effect of intratracheal injection of beryllium in experimental animals.

Abstract

Beryllium and certain of its industrially important compounds have been administered to rats by the intratracheal route as an experimental introduction to the field of inhalation toxicity of beryllium dusts. The tracheal route permite known amounts of toxic materials to be introduced directly into the lungs of animals and allows a more rapid appraisal of pulmonary toxicity than is possible by the more cumbersome inhalation studies. In the absence of information on the nature of beryllium poisoning in animals via the lung, the tracheal studies were designed to supply information on: (1) the relative toxicities (MLD) of insoluble beryllium dust suspensions and certain soluble beryllium compounds, (2) the type of physiological response, whether acute or chronic, (3) the variables which might offer a means of appraising beryllium toxicity. 5 figs., 2 tabs.