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In Vitro Toxicity of Industrially Relevant Engineered Nanoparticles in Human Alveolar Epithelial Cells: Air-Liquid Interface versus Submerged Cultures. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11123225. [PMID: 34947574 PMCID: PMC8703991 DOI: 10.3390/nano11123225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Diverse industries have already incorporated within their production processes engineered nanoparticles (ENP), increasing the potential risk of worker inhalation exposure. In vitro models have been widely used to investigate ENP toxicity. Air-liquid interface (ALI) cell cultures have been emerging as a valuable alternative to submerged cultures as they are more representative of the inhalation exposure to airborne nano-sized particles. We compared the in vitro toxicity of four ENP used as raw materials in the advanced ceramics sector in human alveolar epithelial-like cells cultured under submerged or ALI conditions. Submerged cultures were exposed to ENP liquid suspensions or to aerosolised ENP at ALI. Toxicity was assessed by determining LDH release, WST-1 metabolisation and DNA damage. Overall, cells were more sensitive to ENP cytotoxic effects when cultured and exposed under ALI. No significant cytotoxicity was observed after 24 h exposure to ENP liquid suspensions, although aerosolised ENP clearly affected cell viability and LDH release. In general, all ENP increased primary DNA damage regardless of the exposure mode, where an increase in DNA strand-breaks was only detected under submerged conditions. Our data show that at relevant occupational concentrations, the selected ENP exert mild toxicity to alveolar epithelial cells and exposure at ALI might be the most suitable choice when assessing ENP toxicity in respiratory models under realistic exposure conditions.
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Bessa MJ, Brandão F, Fokkens P, Cassee FR, Salmatonidis A, Viana M, Vulpoi A, Simon S, Monfort E, Teixeira JP, Fraga S. Toxicity assessment of industrial engineered and airborne process-generated nanoparticles in a 3D human airway epithelial in vitro model. Nanotoxicology 2021; 15:542-557. [PMID: 33734024 DOI: 10.1080/17435390.2021.1897698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The advanced ceramic technology has been pointed out as a potentially relevant case of occupational exposure to nanoparticles (NP). Not only when nanoscale powders are being used for production, but also in the high-temperature processing of ceramic materials there is also a high potential for NP release into the workplace environment. In vitro toxicity of engineered NP (ENP) [antimony tin oxide (Sb2O3•SnO2; ATO); zirconium oxide (ZrO2)], as well as process-generated NP (PGNP), and fine particles (PGFP), was assessed in MucilAir™ cultures at air-liquid interface (ALI). Cultures were exposed during three consecutive days to varying doses of the aerosolized NP. General cytotoxicity [lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, WST-1 metabolization], (oxidative) DNA damage, and the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators (IL-8 and MCP-1) were assessed. Data revealed that ENP (5.56 µg ATO/cm2 and 10.98 µg ZrO2/cm2) only caused mild cytotoxicity at early timepoints (24 h), whereas cells seemed to recover quickly since no significant changes in cytotoxicity were observed at late timepoints (72 h). No meaningful effects of the ENP were observed regarding DNA damage and cytokine levels. PGFP affected cell viability at dose levels as low as ∼9 µg/cm2, which was not seen for PGNP. However, exposure to PGNP (∼4.5 µg/cm2) caused an increase in oxidative DNA damage. These results indicated that PGFP and PGNP exhibit higher toxicity potential than ENP in mass per area unit. However, the presence of a mucociliary apparatus, as it occurs in vivo as a defense mechanism, seems to considerably attenuate the observed toxic effects. Our findings highlight the potential hazard associated with exposure to incidental NP in industrial settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria João Bessa
- Departamento de Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Porto, Portugal.,EPIUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fátima Brandão
- Departamento de Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Porto, Portugal.,EPIUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paul Fokkens
- National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Flemming R Cassee
- National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.,Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Apostolos Salmatonidis
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish Research Council (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.,LEITAT Technological Center, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Viana
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish Research Council (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adriana Vulpoi
- Nanostructured Materials and Bio-Nano-Interfaces Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simion Simon
- Nanostructured Materials and Bio-Nano-Interfaces Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Eliseo Monfort
- Institute of Ceramic Technology (ITC), Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
| | - João Paulo Teixeira
- Departamento de Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Porto, Portugal.,EPIUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sónia Fraga
- Departamento de Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Porto, Portugal.,EPIUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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