Adverse pulmonary impacts of environmental concentrations of oil mist particulate matter in normal human bronchial epithelial cell.

Airborne oil mist particulate matter (OMPM) is generated during industrial processes such as metalworking and may be associated with pulmonary dysfunction. In this study, we employed the normal human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cell line to elucidate the association between pulmonary toxicity and OMPM of 2.5-10 μm, 1.0-2.5 μm and <1.0 μm particle sizes (OMPM, OMPM and OMPM). We measured OMPM concentrations at a precision machinery factory to estimate lung deposition rates and select realistic environmental concentrations for testing. All OMPMs (1-50 μg/cm) significantly decreased BEAS-2B cell viability (>38% of control), except for low-dose OMPM (1 μg/cm). OMPM and OMPM, but not OMPM, induced oxidative stress (1.5-4-fold increase compared with the control) and increased the production of proinflammatory cytokines (1.5-3-fold). However, only OMPM induced pulmonary epithelial barrier dysfunction via depletion of zonula occludens (0.65-0.8-fold) and α1-antitrypsin proteins (0.65-0.8-fold). In conclusion, a higher risk of lung disease was associated with smaller particle size OMPM. Exposure to OMPM may be a potential risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The evidence also demonstrates that occupational exposure to OMPM may cause pulmonary disease at very low concentrations.