Document 0JBg66enozp01GX1XbYOprYYm
FILE NAME: Talc (TALC)
DATE: 1986
DOC#: TALC028
DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Journal Article - Demonstration of the Migration of Talc from the Vagina and Posterior Uterus to the Ovary in the Rat
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e n v i r o n m e n t a l r e s e a r c h 40, 247-250 (1986)
The Demonstration of the Migration of Talc from the Vagina and Posterior Uterus to the Ovary in the Rat
W. J. Henderson, T. C. Hamilton,1 M. S. Baylis, C. G. Pierrepoint, and K. Griffiths
Tenovus Institute for Cancer Research, University o f Wales College o f Medicine, The Heath,
'
Cardiff CF4 4XX, Wales
:
Received May 15, 1984
'
Talc particles placed in both the uterine migrate to the ovary and become localized
cavity within
and the vagina its substance,
ocf
the
1986
rat were shown
Academic Press, inc.
to
INTRODUCTION
' The presence of talc particles deeply embedded in ovarian and cervical benign and malignant tissue was reported by this Institute (Henderson et al., 1971). Posi
. live identification of the particles was achieved (Griffiths et al., 1973) by replica i ting the surface morphology of tissue sections (Henderson, 1969) and analyzing j the X-ray emission spectra of extracted foreign materia! with an electron micro , scope microanalyzer (EMMA, A. E. I. Harlow, England), j Direct communication between the external environment and the peritoneal cavity exists in the female via her genital tract. It has been demonstrated that the 1 injection of a suspension of talc beneath the bursa of the rat ovary was followed
J by ihe development of large ovarian bursal cysts, with associated epithelial
changes not inconsistent with the histological picture of premalignancy (Hamilton el a!., 1984). It was, therefore, of interest to see whether talc placed in the lower part of the female genital tract of the rat would migrate anteriorly to the ovary.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In a pilot study eight female exbreeder Sprague-Dawley rats 7.5 months old
i were used. Under light ether anesthesia a speculum of an auroscope with the lens
j removed was introduced into the vagina and the cervical os illuminated. A Portex
catheter (o.d. 0.75 mm) was passed a distance of approximately 2.5 cm into the
j cerv ical canal from the vagina introitus and a suspension of talc (100 mg/ml) in
phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) introduced (vol 250 p.1). The animals were di-
| vided into two groups of four. Group I was sacrificed 5 days following intra
uterine instillation of the talc suspension and their ovaries were removed. The
| animals in Group II received further uterine instillations 6 and 15 days after the
: initial treatment. On Day 20, two rats from this group were killed and their
; ovaries removed. The remaining two rats received further treatments 22 and 30
days after their initial treatment and were sacrificed on Day 49. i
i
1Present address: Medicine Branch, Division of Cancer Treatment, National Cancer Institute,
Building 10, Room 12 N226, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Md. 20205.
247
0013-9351/86 $3.00
Copyright 1986 by Academic Press. Inc. All rights o f reproduction in any form reserved.
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248
HENDERSON ET AL.
The ovaries from each animal were combined and subjected to an ashing pro
cedure as described previously (Henderson et a i , 1978). Essentially this process
removes organic matter by heating the organs to 550C in the incineration
chamber of a horizontal tubular muffle furnace in a stream of oxygen (250 ml,
min/500 mg wet wt for 5 hr). The ashed material was then suspended in distilled
water (50 p.1). Aliquots (10 pd) were pipeted onto carbon-coated electron micro
scope grids and the water was evaporated. A further carbon coat was applied in
vacuo to stabilize any particles and to dissipate heat and electrostatic charge gen
erated by the concentrated electron beam prior to examination with the EMMA.
Twelve Sprague-Dawley exbreeder rats of a similar age to those used in he
experiment described above were divided into two groups of six. Group I animals
were firmly held and the louver of a 1-ml disposable microjet 501 TB syringe was
introduced into the vaginal orifices and 250 pd of a suspension of talc (100 mg ml)
I
in PBS was deposited into the vaginas. The animals in Group II were treated
similarly except that 250 pul of PBS was substituted for the talc suspension. Two
i
animals from each group were sacrificed 24 hr, 48 hr, and 4 days, respectively,
I
following initial treatment. Their ovaries were removed and treated similarh to
those described in the first experiment.
MIGRA
RESULTS
Particles of talc were identified in the ovaries of all the animals that received intrauterine talc and in the two animals that received intravaginal talc killed . Iter 4 days (Fig. la). X-Ray analysis (Fig. lb) confirmed the chemical constitution of
talc. No talc could be demonstrated in the group of rats that had received PBS
intravaginally or in those animals with intravaginal talc killed after 24 and 48 hr.
Fig . I. (a) Particles of talc re mi-pension of talc into the pos particles showing the 3:1 ratio o'
DISCUSSION
Birfringent particles were first noted to be present in human ovarian carci
The association of talc
nomas by Graham and Graham (1967) who postulated that these particles might
(Tichtman et al., 1946) anc
be asbestos. Subsequent work at this Institute identified talc in ovarian cancer
stromal structure may leai
tissue but not asbestos (Henderson et al., 1971; Griffiths et al., 1973). The ease of
Carcinogenic activity o;
migration of particulate material from the vagina to the peritoneal cavity (Venter
presence in the environmt
I
and Iturralde, 1979; Iturralde and Venter, 1981) has been established.
it under suspicion (Longo
s
The physiological mechanisms associated with translocation of particulate ma
normal and malignant tT
Is tmeraimalmwailtiahninsptheecigese.niTtahletcrahcetmaicreal unnaktunroewonf bthuet apraertpicruolbaateblwy oouplderantoitveapipneamrotsot oCvlaarmiaenr ectanalc.er(19an82d) tshueggues
alter its ability to be transported through the genital tract and does not elicit any
exposure to talc to the incl
II
selective mechanisms. Indeed it is accepted that retrograde flow of menstrual
nelson and Mokronosova.
%
products into the peritoneal cavity via the Fallopian tubes is not an uncommon
ical properties of talc is ac
i
f4i
finding by laparoscopy at the time of menstruation. The rhythmic muscular con
3 tractions of the uterus that occur spontaneously and the illicit currents estab '-'r imer, D. W., Welch. W. R., S
lished by the epithelial cells of the genital tract may contribute to the transloca
talc. Cancer 50, 372-376.
a
tion process.
aeli, G. E., and Newton, M. (19:
*
Talc is widely used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry and has been
^ tive tract. Fertii. Steril. 12, i
9
associated with the use of certain forms of barrier contraceptives. Many women
Liruham, J., and Graham, R. (19(
apply talc to their perinea and some to their sanitary ware (Cramer et al., 1982).
Griffiths, K., Henderson, W. J.,
new analytical approaches. I
in ashing pruY this process
incineration 'gen (250 ml
in distilled -coated electron miern>on coat was applied in lectrostatic charge gen lation with the EMMA ge to those used in th_ of six. Group I animals )jet 501 TB syringe sion of talc (100 mg.-mb Group II were treat id -e talc suspension. Tv.,, id 4 days, respective!', . tnd treated similarly to
MIGRATION OF TALC IN RAT GENITAL TRACT
249
animals that received vaginal talc killed afiei hemical constitution m that had received Plis lied after 24 and 48 In
Ft 1. (a) Particles of talc recovered from the ovary by oxygen ashing following instillation of a suspension of talc into the posterior genital tract of a rat ( 10.000 x ). (b) Spectral analysis of the particles showing the 3:1 ratio of silicon to magnesium characteristic of talc.
, human ovarian etna it these particles mig.;: talc in ovarian cane.; ' al., 1973). The ease m ritoneal cavity (Vcntv; established, ition of particulate m., ibly operative in m et :e would not appear to and does not elicit an\ ade flow of menstrual s is not an uncommon nythmic muscular con ' illicit currents estabibute to the transkv .1-
industry and has been eptives. Many women (Cramer et al.. 19S2>.
The association of talc with formation of granulomata is well documented iLkhtman et a l , 1946) and it may be speculated that disruption of normal ovarian stromal structure may lead to disturbances in steroid hormone metabolism.
Carcinogenic activity of talc has not been established although its ubiquitous presence in the environment and its elemental similarity to asbestos has brought it under suspicion (Longo and Young, 1979). However, it has been found in both j normal and malignant tissue and its precise role remains unclear, although Cramer et al. (1982) suggested that a relationship between increased incidence of j ovarian cancer and the use of talc existed. A long latent period from the initial exposure to talc to the induction of malignant change has been postulated (Kats nelson and Mokronosova, 1979), but until a greater understanding of the biolog I ieal properties of talc is achieved further speculation is unjustified at this time.
! t
REFERENCES
j Cramer. D. W., Welch, W. R., Scully, R. E., and Wojciechowski, C. A. (1982). Ovarian cancer and
J j
talc. Cancer 50, 372-376.
E., and Newton, M. (1961). The transport of carbon particles in the human female reproduc
!
live tract. Frtil. Steril. 12, 151-155.
Graham, J., and Graham, R. (1967). Ovarian cancer and asbestos. Environ. Res. 1, 115-128.
Grithihs. K., Henderson, W. J., Chandler, J. A., and Joslin, C. A. F. (1973). Ovarian cancer: Some
new analytical approaches. Postgrad. Med. J. 49, 69-72.
?
250
HENDERSON ET AL.
Hamilton, T. C., Fox, H., Buckley, C. H., Henderson, W. J., and Griffiths, K. (1984) Effects of t ri
on the rat ovary. Brit. J. Exp. Pathol. 65, 101 -106.
` "
Henderson, W. }. (1969). A simple replication technique for the study of biological tissues by electron microscopy. J. Microsc. 89, 369-372.
Henderson, W. J Joslin, C. A. F , Turnbull, A. C,, and Griffiths, K. (1971). Talc and carcinoma f
the ovary and cervix. J. Obstet. Gynaecol. Brit. Commonw. 78, 266-272
Henderson, W. J., Melville-Jones, C., Wilson, D. W. and Griffiths, K. (1978). Oxygen incinerate,
and electron microscope micro-analysis of mineral particles in biological tissues. J. Histocho,
Cytochem. 26, 1087-1093.
'
Iturralde, M., and Venter, P. F. (1981). Hysterosalpingo-radionuclide scintigraphy (HERS). Sew ,, yitcl. Med. 11, 301-314.
Katsnelson B^A., and Mokronosova, K. A. (1979). Non-fibrous mineral dusts and malignant n-
mours. J. Occttp. Med. 21, 15-20.
'
Lichtman, A. L., McDonald, R., Dixon, C. F, and Mann, F. C. (1946). Talc granulomas. S,trV necol. Obstet. 83, 531-558.
Longo, D. L., and Young, R. C. (1979). Cosmetic talc and ovarian cancer. Lancet 2, 349-351
Venter, P. F., and Iturralde, M. (1979). Migration of a particulate radioactive tracer from the vagin, io tne peritoneal cavity and ovaries. S. Afr. Med. J. 55, 917-919.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
Critical Conce Humans [
Kji N o g a w a , R
Ik ik o T suri
Department o f Hypie
Cadmium (Cd) was d Subjects consisted of 51 controls ages between 3 were 35.2 p.g/g wet wt values for the control gr kidney cortex Cd were a The kidney cortex conci trations up to approxim. increase in kidney corte' 200 p.g/g. The lowest liv around 30 p.g/g. The criti exposed to environment;
W et Wt. e, 1986 Academic Pr
Chronic exposure to i (Friberg et al., 1974; No considered as the majoi seems to be more sensiti 1974, 1979).
Kidney damage consi /.. 1979; Buchet el al.. increase in total protein ocids in the urine, a de (FiTRP), decreased creat berg, 1950; Piscator, 196 Kjellstrom et al., 1977; S 1979b, 1980a, b, 1981c; P and/or glucosuria as well inhabitants of different C gawa et al., 1975, 1980b matsuetal., 1980; Koba\ tality among Cd-polluted (Nogawa et al., 1981b). T intoxication.