聚乙烯微/纳米塑料暴露诱导人支气管和肺泡上皮细胞上皮-间充质转化。
Polyethylene Micro/Nanoplastics Exposure Induces Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Human Bronchial and Alveolar Epithelial Cells.
机构信息
Department of Life Sciences, Health and Health Professions, Link Campus University, 00165 Rome, Italy.
Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy.
出版信息
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Sep 22;25(18):10168. doi: 10.3390/ijms251810168.
Micro/nanoplastics (MNPs), which are widely spread in the environment, have gained attention because of their ability to enter the human body mainly through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, thus representing a serious health threat. Several studies have reported the presence of MNPs in lung tissue and the potential role of MNP inhalation in triggering lung fibrosis and tumorigenesis. However, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding the cellular response to MNPs composed of polyethylene (PE), one of the most common plastic pollutants in the biosphere. In this study, we investigated the effects of low/high concentrations of PE MNPs on respiratory epithelial cell viability and migration/invasion abilities, using MTT, scratch, and transwell assays. Morphological and molecular changes were assessed via immunofluorescence, Western blot, and qRT-PCR. We demonstrated that acute exposure to PE MNPs does not induce cellular toxicity. Instead, cells displayed visible morphological changes also involving actin cytoskeleton reorganization. Our data underlined the role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in triggering this process. Moreover, a remarkable increase in migration potential was noticed, in absence of a significant alteration of the cell's invasive capacity. The present study highlights the potential impact of PE MNPs inhalation on the human respiratory epithelium, suggesting a possible role in carcinogenesis.
微/纳米塑料(MNPs)广泛存在于环境中,由于其能够主要通过摄入、吸入和皮肤接触进入人体,因此对健康构成了严重威胁,从而引起了人们的关注。有几项研究报告了 MNPs 存在于肺组织中,以及 MNP 吸入在引发肺纤维化和肿瘤发生中的潜在作用。然而,对于由聚乙烯(PE)组成的 MNPs 的细胞反应,人们知之甚少,PE 是生物圈中最常见的塑料污染物之一。在这项研究中,我们使用 MTT、划痕和 Transwell 测定法,研究了低/高浓度 PE MNPs 对呼吸上皮细胞活力和迁移/侵袭能力的影响。通过免疫荧光、Western blot 和 qRT-PCR 评估形态和分子变化。我们证明急性暴露于 PE MNPs 不会诱导细胞毒性。相反,细胞表现出明显的形态变化,也涉及肌动蛋白细胞骨架的重组。我们的数据强调了上皮-间充质转化(EMT)在触发这一过程中的作用。此外,还注意到迁移潜力显著增加,而细胞的侵袭能力没有明显改变。本研究强调了 PE MNPs 吸入对人呼吸道上皮的潜在影响,提示其在致癌作用中可能发挥作用。
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