http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20362040

Toxicol Lett. 2010 Jun 16;196(1):33-41. Epub 2010 Mar 31.
Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in human lung epithelial A549 cells
caused by airborne volatile organic compounds emitted from pinewood
and oriented strand boards.
Gminski R, Tang T, Mersch-Sundermann V.
Source
Institute of Environmental Medicine and Hospital Epidemiology,
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University Medical Center,
Breisacher Strasse 115b, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
Abstract
Due to the massive reduction of air-change rates in modern,
energy-saving houses and dwellings, the contribution of volatile
organic compound (VOCs) emissions from wood-based materials to indoor
air quality has become increasingly important. To evaluate toxicity of
VOC mixtures typically emitted frompine wood and oriented strand boards
(OSB) and their main constituents (selected terpenes and aldehydes),
cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were investigated in human A549 lung
cells. To facilitate exposure directly via gas phase, a 250 L emission
chamber was combined with a Vitrocell exposure system. VOC exposure
concentrations were measured by GC/MSD. Biological effects were
determined after an exposure time of 1h by measuring cytotoxicity
(erythrosine B staining) and genotoxicity (comet assay). Neither
cytotoxic nor genotoxic effects were observed for VOC mixtures emitted
from pine wood or OSB at loading factors of approximately 13 m(2)/m(3)
(worst case conditions) of the panels (with maximum VOC levels of
about 80 mg/m(3)) in comparison to clean air. While alpha-pinene and
Delta(3)-carene did not induce toxic effects even at exposure
concentrations of up to 1800 mg/m(3) and 600 mg/m(3), respectively,
hexanal showed a cytotoxic effect at 2000 mg/m(3). The
alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes 2-heptenal and 2-octenal caused
genotoxic effects in concentrations exceeding 100mg/m(3) and 40
mg/m(3), respectively. In conclusion, high concentrations of VOCs and
VOC mixtures emitted from pine wood and OSB did not lead to adverse
effects in A549 human lung cells even at concentrations 10(2) to
10(5)-fold higher than those found in normal indoor air. Attention must
be paid to mutagenic and possibly carcinogenic alpha,beta-unsaturated
aldehydes.
Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
PMID: 20362040 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12851120

J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2003 Jul 11;66(13):1221-35.
The effects of wood dusts on the redox status and cell death in mouse
macrophages (RAW 264.7) and human leukocytes in vitro.
Naarala J, Kasanen JP, Pasanen P, Pasanen AL, Liimatainen A, Pennanen
S, Liesivuori J.
Source
Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Kuopio, Finland.
Abstract
Wood dusts are classified as carcinogenic to humans and also produce
other toxic, allergic, and acute effects in woodworkers. However,
little is known about causative agents in wood dusts and their
mechanisms of action. The effects of different tree species and
particle size for biological activity were studied. The differences
in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell death
(necrotic and apoptotic) between mouse macrophage (RAW 264.7) cells and
human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) for pine, birch, and beech
dust exposures were investigated in vitro. The pine and birch dust
exposure (1-100 microg/ml) produced concentration-dependent ROS
production in both the cells, which was one order of magnitude higher
with pine dust. The ROS production was faster in human PNML than murine
RAW cells. The higher concentrations (500 and/or 1000 microg/ml)
decreased ROS formation. With pine and birch dust exposure, this was
probably due to the necrotic cell death. The pine dust concentrations
of 500 and 1000 microg/ml were cytotoxic to human PMNL. The beech dust
exposure activated the ROS production and decreased the cell viability
only at the highest concentrations, being least potent of the three
dusts. A sign of the apoptotic cell death in the murine RAW cells was
observed at the pine dust concentration of 100 microg/ml. The exposure
to the birch and beech dusts with a smaller particle size (<5 microm)
produced greater ROS production than exposure to the corresponding dust
with a wide range of particle sizes. However, changing the particle
size did not affect the cell viability. The results indicate that the
type of wood dust (tree species and possibly particle size) has a
significant impact on the function and viability of phagocytic cells.
PMID: 12851120 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8750906

Arch Toxicol. 1995;70(1):57-60.
Genotoxicity of wood dust in a human embryonic lung cell line.
Zhou ZC, Norpoth KH, Nelson E.
Source
Institute of Hygiene and Occupational Medicine, University Medical
Centre, Essen, Germany.
Abstract
Wood dust exposure has been found to be an occupational hazard, being
linked to an enhanced incidence of various neoplasias. Here we
performed an experiment to evaluate the ability of solvent extracts of
natural woods to induce chromosome aberrations in respiratory cells in
culture. Human embryonic lung cells, MRC-5, grown in Dulbecco's medium
were exposed to various concentrations of the dust extracts of
pesticide-free (untreated) beech, oak and pine woods. Three
concentrations per extract with and without metabolic activation (S9)
and 100 metaphase cells per dose were examined for possible structural
aberrations. Although no dose-dependent activity could be found with
any extract in the presence of S9, most aberrations observed were of
the chromatid type caused by oak wood. Dose-dependent chromosomal
breaks caused by oak and chromatid breaks caused by both beech and oak
were observed in the absence of S9. These data might support the early
hypothesis that hard wood dust per se contains some in vivo genotoxic
and thus possibly carcinogeniccomponents.
PMID: 8750906 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Might also interest some:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21869524
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19875789
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20391724

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html

"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)

[Posted in FML 7351]