Toxicology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Toxicology - Research Paper ExampleFurthermore, epidemiologic studies have established that cigarette smoking seriously aggravates the symptoms of asbestosis and increases the risk of cancer. However, the synergistic interaction between baccy smoking and inhalation of asbestos sojourns yet to be established and is subject to hypothesis. Asbestos as well as tobacco smoke is a well-established lung carcinogen. It is known that inhaled asbestos fibers remain in the lungs for years eventually assisting in the formation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species that subsequently cause excessive scarring, tissue injury, and cellular growth in the lungs via large scale loss of chromosomes. Although several hypothesis has been put forward to explain the multiplicative effects of asbestos and tobacco smoke, it is possible that asbestos fibers on the lungs surface brook the tobacco carcinogens thereby enhancing delivery of the large amounts of carcinogens to the nucleus of the target cel l. Indeed, this hypothesis is supported by a modeling experiment in which it was shown that phospholipids coating the lung epithelium adhere to the asbestos fibers, which ultimately enhance the hydrophobicity of the fiber (Gerde & Scholander, 1988).