Raw single-walled carbon nanotube-induced cytotoxic effects in human bronchial epithelial cells: comparison to asbestos

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) are being developed to be used in many industrial and biomedical applications. However, SWCNT's durability and likely fibrous morphology have raised health concerns. The present investigations were focused on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms induced by raw SWCNT (SWCNT) in human bronchial-epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Asbestos (crocidolite) was used as a positive control. Exposure of BEAS-2B cells to SWCNT induced apoptosis, DNA damage, and oxidative stress. The generation of hydroxyl radical (^?OH) and increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were concentration-dependent. The increase in apoptosis was associated with activation of caspase-3, caspase-7, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1). A short recovery period of 6?h of cells from SWCNT exposure resulted in reversal of caspase-3 and caspase-7, and a partial reversal of PARP-1 activation. The activation of PARP-1, caspase-3, and caspase-7 was only partially diminished after a recovery of 6?h from the exposure to crocidolite. Exposure of BEAS-2B cells to SWCNT resulted in the phosphorylation of protein p42/44 (p42/44) and protein p38 (p38). SWCNT did not induce protein serine-threonine kinase (AKT) phosphorylation. For all the above end points, crocidolite induced a greater response compared to SWCNT. SWCNT induced a significant activation of activator protein-1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and the effect was inhibited by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors. SWCNT also induced significant increase in the expression levels of c-Jun, βIGH3, and CD44 genes. The results of this study show that the molecular mechanism for raw SWCNT-mediated toxicity in BEAS-2B cells is through the activation of caspase-3, caspase-7, and PARP-1. Furthermore, the mechanism of AP-1 and NF-κB activation is through MAPK. This bioactivity of raw SWCNT is associated with the generation of oxidative stress and DNA damage. Considering the role of airway epithelium as a critical barrier for normal pulmonary function and focal point for tumor development, this study demonstrates that raw SWCNT activate molecular events which may be linked to adverse biological responses implicated in pulmonary diseases.     

Toxic effects of realgar transforming solution on the reproduction of Caenorhabditis elegans

Realgar transforming solution is an arsenic formulation which has shown anticancer effects with low toxicity both in vivo and in vitro. In this study, Caenorhabditis elegans was used to evaluate its reproductive toxicity and its possible mechanisms. Realgar transforming solution decreased the brood size and induced proliferation arrest and apoptosis significantly only at an elemental concentration of 37.5 mg/L, while arsenic trioxide reduced the brood sizes and induced proliferation arrest and apoptosis of both the wild type N2 and let-60 ras(gf) mutant worms in an arsenic concentration dependent manner. Mitogen-activated protein kinase and protein p53 pathways may be involved in reproductive toxicity as evidenced by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, RNA interference, and inhibition experiments with mitogen-activated protein kinases and p53. In conclusion, realgar transforming solution at the low arsenic (As) concentrations showed lower reproductive toxicity than arsenic trioxide, and a different molecular mechanism of reproductive toxicity is suggested.     

丙烯腈暴露对大鼠脑组织损伤及iNOS/p38 MAPK信号通路关键蛋白表达的影响

通过探究iNOS/p38 MAPK信号通路在丙烯腈(acrylonitrile,ACN)诱导脑组织损伤中的作用,为进一步研究ACN的神经毒性作用提供依据。选取50只SPF级健康成年雄性SD大鼠,随机分为5组,每组10只。适应性饲养一周后,以12.5、25.0、50.0 mg·kg~(-1)ACN对大鼠进行灌胃染毒,对照组给予玉米油,另设NAC组(300.0 mg·kg~(-1)NAC+50.0 mg·kg~(-1)ACN),1次·天~(-1),6天·周~(-1),共染毒13周。次日称重并处死大鼠,测定大鼠脑组织NO含量、总NOS水平及iNOS、p-p38和p38蛋白表达水平。结果显示,ACN各剂量组大鼠脑组织脏器系数与对照组比较均显著降低(P0.05),高剂量组大鼠脑脏器系数与NAC组比较降低(P0.05)。高剂量组NO含量和总NOS水平显著高于对照组,与NAC组比较,高剂量组NO含量降低(P0.05),总NOS水平升高(P0.05)。Western blot结果显示,ACN高剂量组大鼠脑组织iNOS、p-p38蛋白表达水平和p-p38/p38比值显著高于对照组和NAC组(P0.05)。ACN可激活iNOS/p38MAPK信号通路,这可能是ACN致大鼠脑组织损伤的机制之一。     

邻苯二甲酸二乙基己酯(DEHP)对THP-1细胞IL-1β和MMP-8表达及ROS的影响

为探讨邻苯二甲酸二乙基己酯((DEHP)的细胞免疫毒性作用与机制,采用RT-PCR和ELISA方法,考察了0.05～1μmol·L-1浓度范围内的DEHP对THP-1细胞白细胞介素-1β(IL-1β)及基质金属蛋白酶-8(MMP-8)基因和蛋白表达的影响;采用免疫印迹WesternBlot方法检测DE-HP对ERK1/2磷酸化水平的影响;以2,'7-'二氯荧光素二乙酸酯(DCFH-DA)为荧光探针检测1～50μmol·L-1DEHP对细胞内活性氧(ROS)产生的影响。结果显示,0.05和0.2μmol·L-1DEHP在6h内显著诱导IL-1β和MMP-8基因表达(P<0.05或0.01);0.05～1μmol·L-1DEHP刺激细胞48h,可诱导IL-1β蛋白表达,并表现出明显的剂量-效应关系,线性拟合的确定系数为0.937;0.05μmol·L-1DEHP刺激细胞6或12h,显著诱导MMP-8蛋白表达(P<0.05);0.2μmol·L-1DEHP在15～30min内快速诱导ERK1/2磷酸化;1～50μmol·L-1DEHP浓度依赖性刺激细胞中ROS的产生;ERK/MAPK抑制剂PD98059显著抑制DEHP诱导的MMP-8分泌,但对IL-1β分泌未表现出抑制作用。研究表明,DEHP可能是经ERK/MAPK信号路径诱导MMP-8基因和蛋白的表达,经其他路径诱导IL-1β基因和蛋白的表达,诱导细胞内ROS的产生,从而激发炎症反应,进而损害免疫系统功能引发哮喘等炎症性疾病。此研究结果可为DEHP的暴露风险评估提供参考。     

Tumor promoting effects of cyanobacterial extracts are potentiated by anthropogenic contaminants--evidence from in vitro study

Inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) is affiliated with tumor promotion process and it has been employed as an in vitro biomarker for evaluation of tumor promoting effects of chemicals. In the present study we investigated combined effects of anthropogenic environmental contaminants 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 153) and fluoranthene, cyanotoxins microcystin-LR and cylindrospermopsin, and extracts of laboratory cultures of cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon gracile and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, on GJIC in the rat liver epithelial cell line WB-F344. Binary mixtures of PCB 153 with fluoranthene and the mixtures of the two cyanobacterial strains elicited simple additive effects on GJIC after 30 min exposure, whereas microcystin-LR and cylindrospermopsin neither inhibited GJIC nor altered effects of PCB 153 or fluoranthene. However, synergistic effects were observed in the cells exposed to binary mixtures of anthropogenic contaminants (PCB 153 or fluoranthene) and cyanobacterial extracts. The synergistic effects were especially pronounced after prolonged (6-24 h) co-exposure to fluoranthene and A. gracile extract, when mixture caused nearly complete GJIC inhibition, while none of the individual components caused any downregulation of GJIC at the same concentration and exposure time. The effects of cyanobacterial extracts were independent of microcystin-LR or cylindrospermopsin, which were not detected in cyanobacterial biomass. It provides further evidence on the presence of unknown tumor promoting metabolites in cyanobacteria. Clear potentiation of the GJIC inhibition observed in the mixtures of two anthropogenic contaminants and cyanobacteria highlight the importance of combined toxic effects of chemicals in complex environmental mixtures.     

林丹通过MAPK和UPR通路与干扰线粒体功能诱导黑腹果蝇(Drosophila melanogaster)肿瘤细胞迁移

环境污染物增加癌症死亡率的潜在机理研究尚需开展。选择与癌症致死显著相关的林丹作为目标物质,将黑腹果蝇作为受试生物进行暴露,对1 000μg·L~(-1)和对照组的果蝇样本进行实时聚合酶链式反应(RT-PCR),检测发现参与调控癌症细胞迁移的丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)信号通路中的MEKK和p38α、未折叠蛋白反应(UPR)中的ATF4、Ire1、PERK和XBP1等基因的表达量呈现显著下调(P0.05)。通过肿瘤迁移品系果蝇统计林丹暴露下肿瘤细胞迁移率,结果显示肿瘤细胞迁移率随林丹浓度升高而增加,1 000μg·L~(-1)林丹暴露组与对照组的果蝇肿瘤细胞迁移率分别为69.2%和45.9%,具有显著性差异(P0.05)。进一步的RNA测序结果表明,高浓度暴露组与对照组之间存在380个基因具有显著性差异(P0.05),其中含169个上调基因和211个下调基因。差异基因主要涉及水解酶催化活性(42个基因)、神经系统(20)、对化学刺激的感知(6)和线粒体(5)。差异基因的富集分析表明林丹的暴露主要改变蛋白水解过程(83个基因)、胞外区域(84)和催化活性(311),其对应的平均富集因子分别为1.59、1.52和1.24(P0.001)。差异基因的表达解释了林丹的暴露不仅致使线粒体功能障碍,而且影响蛋白水解酶活性,加速胞外基质降解,为肿瘤细胞迁移供能并提供微环境。     

活性氧介导砷诱导的蚕豆保卫细胞死亡

采用蚕豆(Vicia fabaL.)表皮条生物法,研究砷的细胞毒性作用机制。结果发现,一定浓度的NaAsO2可使气孔保卫细胞活性降低,部分细胞死亡,细胞死亡率呈浓度依赖性增高;砷处理组保卫细胞内活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)水平升高。抗氧化剂抗坏血酸和过氧化氢酶及Ca2+特异性螯合剂EGTA、Ca2+通道抑制剂LaC13与NaAsO2共同作用时,砷诱发的细胞死亡被显著抑制;MAPK激酶抑制剂PD98059亦能有效阻止NaAsO2诱发的细胞死亡。研究结果表明,砷胁迫引起的胞内ROS合成增加可能通过Ca2+信号途径介导了保卫细胞的死亡过程,MAPK途径参与了砷诱导的细胞死亡。