OBJECTIVETo investigate the cytotoxicity of the nickel-refining dusts for Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells and the effects of nickel-refining dusts on the gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) of CHL cells.

METHODSThe cytotoxicity of the nickel-refining dusts for the CHL cells was determined in two nickel-refining dusts samples with the CHL cells as the target cells by MTT method while the effects of nickel-refining dusts on the CJIC of the CHL cells were investigated using the scrape-loading and dye transfer (SLDT) technique.

RESULTSThere were no significant difference in the CHL proliferation between all dosage groups in the two samples and the control group at 6 and 12 hours (P > 0.05). The survival rate of cells in all dosage groups were all decreased at 36 hours (P < 0.05), presenting the dosage-reaction relationship and the time-reaction relationship. IC(50) was 21.36 and 23.07 micro/ml for the two samples respectively at 36 hours. Compared with the control group, the transport of Lucifer Yellow (LY) from the injury line to the adjacent cells was decreased when the CHL cells were treated with nickel-refining dusts of 25.00, 50.00 and 100.00 microg/ml (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe nickel-refining dusts have cytotoxicity for the CHL cells cultivated in vitro, can inhibit the growth of the cells and at a certain concentration can inhibit the GJIC function of CHL cells.