Trinickel disulphide

Additional toxicological data

Administrative data

Endpoint:

additional toxicological information

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

supporting study

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: Meets generally accepted scientific standards, well documented and acceptable for publication.

Cross-reference

Cross-reference 1

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

reference to same study

Cross-reference 2

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

reference to other study

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Phagocytosis of particulate nickel compounds by rat peritoneal macrophages in vitro

Author:

Kuehn K, Fraser CB, Sunderman FW

Year:

1982

Bibliographic source:

Carcinogenesis. 3(3):321-326

Materials and methods

Type of study / information:

Physicochemical properties and phagocytosis.

Test guideline

Qualifier:

no guideline followed

Principles of method if other than guideline:

Rat peritoneal macrophages were exposed to 17 different nickel compounds in order to examine their susceptibility to phagocytosis.

GLP compliance:

not specified

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Trinickel disulphide

EC Number:

234-829-6

EC Name:

Trinickel disulphide

Cas Number:

12035-72-2

Molecular formula:

Ni3S2

IUPAC Name:

(trinickel-1-ylidene)-1λ⁴-disulfene

Details on test material:

- Name of test material (as cited in study report): alpha-Ni3S2
- Physical state: rhombohedral crystal form

Results and discussion

Any other information on results incl. tables

The phagocytic index for Ni3S2 was 28.4 ± 6.3 %. Overall, there was a significant rank correlation between phagocytic index and previously published dissolution half-times for the various nickel compounds in rat serum, i.e. an inverse relationship between solubility and phagocytic propensity. However, Ni3S2 was a notable exception, which was readily phagocytized despite having the shortest dissolution half-time (34 days). The authors also compared the rank phagocytic index with preliminary carcinogenicity data and found no significant correlation.

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Conclusions:

The authors stated that it was too soon to draw conclusions about the hypothetical relationship between carcinogenicity of particulate nickels and susceptibilities to phagocytosis by macrophages.

Executive summary:

Kuehn et al. (1982) examined the ability of rat peritoneal macrophages to phagocytize 17 nickel compounds, including αNi3S2 (rhombohedral heazlewoodite), in vitro. Additional compounds of interest included NiO and amorphous NiS. Monolayer cultures were established by aliquoting 6 × 105 macrophages onto slides, allowing 2 hours for attachment, followed by rinsing, resulting in about 6 × 104 cells per monolayer. For each experiment, one monolayer was used for measuring viability by Trypan blue exclusion, one monolayer was used for measuring the percentage of cells exhibiting background phagocytosis, and a third monolayer was used to measure the percentage of cells exhibiting phagocytosis. The latter two monolayers were exposed to 2 μg/mL of each compound for 1 min and 1 hour, respectively. Phagocytic index was then computed by subtracting the number of cells with particles in the longer exposure from the number of cells with particles in the shorter exposure. In this analysis, the phagocytic index for Ni3S2 was 28.4 ± 6.3%. Overall, there was a significant rank correlation between phagocytic index and previously published dissolution half-times for the various nickel compounds in rat serum, i.e. an inverse relationship between solubility and phagocytic propensity. However, Ni3S2 was a notable exception, which was readily phagocytized despite having the shortest dissolution half-time (34 days). The authors also compared the rank phagocytic index with preliminary carcinogenicity data and found no significant correlation. The authors stated that there were not enough data to draw conclusions about the hypothetical relationship between carcinogenicity of particulate nickels and susceptibilities to phagocytosis by macrophages. STUDY RATED BY AN INDEPENDENT REVIEWER