Abstract

Kilroe-Smith and Breyer (1963) reported that in the early stages of silicosis in guinea-pigs exposed to the inhalation of quartz dust, before the formation of collagen, there were increases in the specific activities of the complete succinate oxidase system and succinate dehydrogenase. The effects on these enzymes of quartz dust have now been compared with the effects of the fibrogenically `inert' lampblack. Lampblack causes a slight increase in the specific activities of these enzymes but the effects are small compared to those caused by quartz. Lampblack also causes a much smaller increase in lung weight than quartz, thus the enzyme increases are roughly parallel to the rise in lung weight. It appears that the effects observed on the enzymes are part of the general pattern associated with the early stages of the development of silicosis.