Low levels of antibodies for the oral bacterium Tannerella forsythia predict cardiovascular disease mortality in men with myocardial infarction: A prospective cohort study.

Antibody levels to periodontal pathogens in prediction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality were explored using data from a health survey in Oslo in 2000 (Oslo II-study) with 12 1/2 years follow-up. IgG antibodies to four common periodontal pathogens; Tannerella forsythia (TF), Porphyromonas gingivalis (PG), and Treponema denticola (TD) all termed collectively the "red complex", and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans(AA) were analysed. The study sample consisted of 1172 men drawn from a cohort of 6,530 men who participated in the Oslo II-study, where they provided information on medical and dental history. Of the study sample, 548 men had reported prior myocardial infarction (MI) at baseline whereas the remaining 624 men were randomly drawn from the ostensibly healthy participants for comparative analyses. Dental anamnestic information included tooth extractions and oral infections. An inverse relation was found for trend by the quartile risk level of TF predicting CVD mortality, p-value for trend = 0.017. Comparison of the first to fourth quartile of TF antibodies resulted in hazard ratio (HR) = 1.82, 95% confidence interval 1.12-2.94, p = 0.015, adjusted for age, education, diabetes, daily smoking, and systolic blood pressure. Specificity comparing decile 1 to deciles 2-10 of TF predicting mortality was 92.3%. We found an increased HR by low levels of antibodies to the bacterium T. forsythia predicting CVD mortality in a 12 ½ years follow-up in persons who had experienced an MI but not among non-MI men. This novel finding constitutes a plausible causal link between oral infections and CVD mortality.

Characterization and pro-inflammatory responses of spore and hyphae samples from various mold species.

Mold particles from Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus versicolor, and Stachybotrys chartarum have been linked to respiratory-related diseases. We characterized X-ray-inactivated spores and hyphae fragments from these species by number of particles, morphology, and mycotoxin, ß-glucan and protease content/activity. The pro-inflammatory properties of mold particles were examined in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) and THP-1 monocytes and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-differentiated THP-1. Spores from P. chrysogenum and S. chartarum contained some hyphae fragments, whereas the other preparations contained either spores or hyphae. Each mold species produced mainly one gelatin-degrading protease that was either of the metallo- or serine type, while one remains unclassified. Mycotoxin levels were generally low. Detectable levels of ß-glucans were found mainly in hyphae particle preparations. PMA-differentiated THP-1 macrophages were by far the most sensitive model with effects in the order of 10 ng/cm2 . Hyphae preparations of A. fumigatus and P. chrysogenum were more potent than respective spore preparations, whereas the opposite seems to be true for A. versicolor and S. chartarum. Hyphae fragments of A. fumigatus, P. chrysogenum, and A. versicolor enhanced the release of metalloprotease (proMMP-9) most markedly. In conclusion, species, growth stage, and characteristics are all important factors for pro-inflammatory potential.

Air pollution-related metals induce differential cytokine responses in bronchial epithelial cells.

Different transition metals have been shown to induce inflammatory responses in lung. We have compared eight different metal ions with regard to cytokine responses, cytotoxicity and signalling mechanisms in a human lung epithelial cell model (BEAS-2B). Among the metal ions tested, there were large differences with respect to pro-inflammatory potential. Exposure to Cd(2+), Zn(2+) and As(3+) induced CXCL8 and IL-6 release at concentrations below 100µM, and Mn(2+) and Ni(2+) at concentrations above 200µM. In contrast, VO4(3-), Cu(2+) and Fe(2+) did not induce any significant increase of these cytokines. An expression array of 20 inflammatory relevant genes also showed a marked up-regulation of CXCL10, IL-10, IL-13 and CSF2 by one or more of the metal ions. The most potent metals, Cd(2+), Zn(2+) and As(3+) induced highest levels of oxidative activity, and ROS appeared to be central in their CXCL8 and IL-6 responses. Activation of the MAPK p38 seemed to be a critical mediator. However, the NF-κB pathway appeared predominately to be involved only in Zn(2+)- and As(3+)-induced CXCL8 and IL-6 responses. Thus, the most potent metals Cd(2+), Zn(2+) and As(3+) seemed to induce a similar pattern for the cytokine responses, and with some exceptions, via similar signalling mechanisms.

Particulate matter air pollution components and risk for lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Particulate matter (PM) air pollution is a human lung carcinogen; however, the components responsible have not been identified. We assessed the associations between PM components and lung cancer incidence. METHODS: We used data from 14 cohort studies in eight European countries. We geocoded baseline addresses and assessed air pollution with land-use regression models for eight elements (Cu, Fe, K, Ni, S, Si, V and Zn) in size fractions of PM2.5 and PM10. We used Cox regression models with adjustment for potential confounders for cohort-specific analyses and random effect models for meta-analysis. RESULTS: The 245,782 cohort members contributed 3,229,220 person-years at risk. During follow-up (mean, 13.1 years), 1878 incident cases of lung cancer were diagnosed. In the meta-analyses, elevated hazard ratios (HRs) for lung cancer were associated with all elements except V; none was statistically significant. In analyses restricted to participants who did not change residence during follow-up, statistically significant associations were found for PM2.5 Cu (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.01-1.53 per 5 ng/m(3)), PM10 Zn (1.28; 1.02-1.59 per 20 ng/m(3)), PM10 S (1.58; 1.03-2.44 per 200 ng/m(3)), PM10 Ni (1.59; 1.12-2.26 per 2 ng/m(3)) and PM10 K (1.17; 1.02-1.33 per 100 ng/m(3)). In two-pollutant models, associations between PM10 and PM2.5 and lung cancer were largely explained by PM2.5 S. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the association between PM in air pollution and lung cancer can be attributed to various PM components and sources. PM containing S and Ni might be particularly important.

Mechanisms linked to differences in the mutagenic potential of 1,3-dinitropyrene and 1,8-dinitropyrene.

This study explores and characterizes the toxicity of two closely related carcinogenic dinitro-pyrenes (DNPs), 1,3-DNP and 1,8-DNP, in human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells and mouse hepatoma Hepa1c1c7 cells. Neither 1,3-DNP nor 1,8-DNP (3-30 µM) induced cell death in BEAS-2B cells. In Hepa1c1c7 cells only 1,3-DNP (10-30 µM) induced a mixture of apoptotic and necrotic cell death after 24 h. Both compounds increased the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in BEAS-2B as measured by CM-H2DCFDA-fluorescence. A corresponding increase in oxidative damage to DNA was revealed by the formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (fpg)-modified comet assay. Without fpg, DNP-induced DNA damage detected by the comet assay was only found in Hepa1c1c7 cells. Only 1,8-DNP formed DNA adduct measured by 32P-postlabelling. In Hepa1c1c cells, 1,8-DNP induced phosphorylation of H2AX (γH2AX) and p53 at a lower concentration than 1,3-DNP and there was no direct correlation between DNA damage/DNA damage response (DR) and induced cytotoxicity. On the other hand, 1,3-DNP-induced apoptosis was inhibited by pifithrin-α, an inhibitor of p53 transcriptional activity. Furthermore, 1,3-DNP triggered an unfolded protein response (UPR), as measured by an increased expression of CHOP, ATF4 and XBP1. Thus, other types of damage possibly linked to endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress and/or UPR could be involved in the induced apoptosis. Our results suggest that the stronger carcinogenic potency of 1,8-DNP compared to 1,3-DNP is linked to its higher genotoxic effects. This in combination with its lower potency to induce cell death may increase the probability of causing mutations.

TACE/TGF-α/EGFR regulates CXCL8 in bronchial epithelial cells exposed to particulate matter components.

Airborne particulate matter (PM) may induce or exacerbate neutrophilic airway disease by triggering the release of inflammatory mediators, such as CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL)8, from the airway epithelium. It is still unclear which PM components are driving CXCL8 responses, as most candidates occur at low concentrations in the dusts. We therefore hypothesised that different PM constituents may contribute through common mechanisms to induce CXCL8. Human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) were exposed to different PM components (Zn²âº/Fe²âº salts, 1-nitropyrene, lipopolysaccharide and diesel exhaust/mineral particles). Gene expression patterns were detected by real-time PCR array. CXCL8 responses were measured by real-time PCR and ELISA. CXCL8 regulation was assessed with a broad inhibitor panel and neutralising antibodies. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation was examined by immunoprecipitation and Western blotting. Component-induced gene expression was mainly linked to nuclear factor-κB, Ca²âº/protein kinase C, phospholipase C, low-density lipoprotein and mitogenic signalling. Many inhibitors attenuated CXCL8 release induced by all PM components, but to varying extents. However, EGFR inhibition strongly reduced CXCL8 release induced by all test compounds and selected compounds increased EGFR phosphorylation. Interference with transforming growth factor (TGF)-α or tumour necrosis factor-α-converting enzyme (TACE), which mediates TGF-α ectodomain shedding, also attenuated CXCL8 release. Different PM constituents induced CXCL8 partly through similar signalling pathways but the relative importance of the different pathways varied. However, TACE/TGF-α/EGFR signalling appears to be a convergent pathway regulating innate immune responses of airway epithelial cells upon exposure to multiple airborne pollutants.

Cytokine and chemokine expression patterns in lung epithelial cells exposed to components characteristic of particulate air pollution.

Airborne particulate matter (PM) has a complex composition, and the relative contribution of different compounds to PM-induced effects is only partly understood. The present study compared the capability of selected components commonly found in PM, to induce pro-inflammatory responses in lung epithelial cells. Ultrafine carbon black (ufCB), ZnCl(2), FeSO(4), 1-nitropyrene (1-NP), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and crystalline silica (positive control) were screened for effects on the expression of 84 inflammation-related genes in the bronchial epithelial cell line, BEAS-2B. A total of 22 genes were up-regulated by one or more of the tested compounds, and 5 cytokine and 11 chemokine genes were selected for further studies. After 10h exposure, silica induced significantly increased expression of CCL20, CXCL1/-3/-8/-10/-11, lymphotoxin (LT)beta and interleukin (IL)-6; ufCB induced CXCL8/-10 and -11; ZnCl(2) induced CCL11/-20/-26, CXCL1/-5/-8/-14 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha; FeSO(4) induced a weak up-regulation of CXCL8 and TNF-alpha; LPS induced CCL20, CXCL1/-5/-8/-10/-11, LTbeta and IL-6; and 1-NP induced expression of CCL20, CXCL1/-3/-8, TNF-alpha and IL-6. Despite obvious differences, all compounds induced response-patterns that correlated relatively well with that of silica, the positive control. The predominant response appeared to be increased gene expression of neutrophil-recruiting CXC-chemokines. CXCL8 was the only gene induced by all tested PM-components, the most up-regulated on average, and also dominating the gene-expression patterns induced by coarse PM. The data show quantitative, and to a certain extent qualitative differences in cytokine/chemokine gene-expression profiles of the compounds tested. However, there were also striking similarities in the response-patterns induced by these physically/chemically widely different compounds.

Differential binding of cytokines to environmentally relevant particles: a possible source for misinterpretation of in vitro results?

Inflammation is considered as a key event in adverse health effects associated with exposure to ambient particulate matter. The inflammatory potential of particles is often compared using in vitro cell systems, where the particle-induced release of pro-inflammatory cytokines is measured. A major concern in these assays is the potential of particles to bind cytokines, which may lead to an underestimation of the inflammatory potential. We therefore investigated the cytokine binding to a selection of particle samples, including particles collected from outdoor sources (wood combustion, traffic) and particles commonly used to model environmental sources (ultrafine carbon black, diesel, quartz), for a range of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8). Furthermore, the influence of serum proteins and particle- and cytokine concentrations on the cytokine binding was studied. Cytokines primarily bound to carbonaceous particles (up to 85%), not to mineral particles. Furthermore, depending on the type of cytokine, the cytokine binding could be reduced partly or completely by adding serum proteins to the cell growth medium or particle suspensions. Based on these observations we recommend either to adjust culturing and exposure conditions to prevent cytokine binding, or to adjust the measured cytokine release by application of correction factors obtained from cytokine binding experiments.

Importance of size and composition of particles for effects on cells in vitro.

A primary goal of current research on particle-induced health effects is to reveal the critical characteristics that determine their biological effects. Experimental studies have shown that smaller particles induce stronger biological effects than larger particles of similar composition, due to their larger surface area to mass ratio. However, correlation for variations in surface area could not account for variation in biological reactivity among particles of differential composition. Hence, the importance of size and surface area does not override the importance of particle composition. Moreover, different particle characteristics appear to be involved in different biological effects in vitro. Our studies show that mineral particle-induced apoptosis mostly seems to depend on particle size, whereas composition and surface reactivity appeared to be most important for the proinflammatory potential of the particles. The ability of the particles to generate reactive oxygen species in vitro was not correlated with either inflammatory markers or apoptosis, suggesting that other mechanisms are at play. A single, specific component of the mineral particles, explaining the differences in response, has not been identified. In European-wide studies such as the Respiratory Allergy and Inflammation due to Air Pollution (RAIAP) study, particles have been sampled in different locations to study season- and site-dependent variations in responses particles, such as markers of inflammatory and allergic reactions in cells and animals. The data indicate that coarse particles can induce at least as strong inflammatory responses as fine particles. The allergic responses tended to be more associated with the organic fraction (PAH) of particles, whereas the inflammatory reactions seemed to be more associated with metals and endotoxin. Overall, coarse PM was found to have an inflammatory potential similar to fine PM on an equal mass basis. Even though one has to take into account different concentrations in ambient air as well as differences in respiratory system deposition of the size fractions, the potential of coarse particles to induce pulmonary effects should not be neglected.

Particulate matter properties and health effects: consistency of epidemiological and toxicological studies.

Identifying the ambient particulate matter (PM) fractions or constituents, critically involved in eliciting adverse health effects, is crucial to the implementation of more cost-efficient abatement strategies to improve air quality. This review focuses on the importance of different particle properties for PM-induced effects, and whether there is consistency in the results from epidemiological and experimental studies. An evident problem for such comparisons is that epidemiological and experimental data on the effects of specific components of ambient PM are limited. Despite this, some conclusions can be drawn. With respect to the importance of the PM size-fractions, experimental and epidemiological studies are somewhat conflicting, but there seems to be a certain consistency in that the coarse fraction (PM10-2.5) has an effect that should not be neglected. Better exposure characterization may improve the consistency between the results from experimental and epidemiological studies, in particular for ultrafine particles. Experimental data indicate that surface area is an important metric, but composition may play an even greater role in eliciting effects. The consistency between epidemiological and experimental findings for specific PM-components appears most convincing for metals, which seem to be important for the development of both pulmonary and cardiovascular disease. Metals may also be involved in PM-induced allergic sensitization, but the epidemiological evidence for this is scarce. Soluble organic compounds appear to be implicated in PM-induced allergy and cancer, but the data from epidemiological studies are insufficient for any conclusions. The present review suggests that there may be a need for improvements in research designs. In particular, there is a need for better exposure assessments in epidemiological investigations, whereas experimental data would benefit from an improved comparability of studies. Combined experimental and epidemiological investigations may also help answer some of the unresolved issues.

Iron release and ROS generation from mineral particles are not related to cytokine release or apoptosis in exposed A549 cells.

The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by mineral particles is believed to be central to their toxicity and their ability to induce inflammation. Surface bound or soluble iron may contribute to the particle-effects by enhancing the ROS generation through the Fenton reaction. Nevertheless, the importance of ROS and transition metals to mineral particle-induced effects is still unclear and further investigations are needed. In the present study we have investigated different mineral particles for their total iron content, amount of soluble iron at pH 7.0 and 4.0, their ability to generate ROS in a cell-free environment, and their ability to induce cytokine release and apoptosis in a human alveolar epithelial cell line (A549). All the investigated parameters varied considerably between the different particles, with the exception of ability to induce apoptosis. Total iron content did not reflect the amount of soluble iron, and neither total nor soluble iron was correlated with ROS generation. Moreover, iron content and ROS was not correlated with the ability of particles to induce cytokine release or apoptosis. The present results suggest that there is no clear relationship between the particles iron content and ability to generate ROS. Moreover, neither iron content nor the ability to induce ROS generation appears to be a prerequisite for the inflammatory potential or cytotoxicity of mineral particles.

Mineral particles of varying composition induce differential chemokine release from epithelial lung cells: importance of physico-chemical characteristics.

Presently, little is known about the potential health effects of mineral particles other than asbestos and quartz. In this study, a human epithelial lung cell line (A549), primary human small airway epithelial cells (SAECs) and primary rat type 2 (T2) cells were exposed to stone quarry particles of two size fractions (<10 and <2.5 microm) from nine different rock samples. The ability to induce the release of chemokines from lung cells was investigated and compared with the particles' mineral and element composition and the amount of soluble elements. The stone particles induced the release of only low levels of interleukin (IL)-8 from A549 cells. In contrast, some of the other particles induced the release of high levels of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 from T2 cells, and high levels of IL-8 from SAECs. Differences in particle surface area could account for differences in activity between the <10 and <2.5 microm fractions of six out of the nine rock samples. For two samples the <2.5 microm fraction was most active and for one sample the <10 microm fraction was most active. Content of the mineral plagioclase displayed a strong, negative correlation with the potential to induce MIP-2, whereas the mineral pyroxene was positively correlated with MIP-2 induction. However, neither plagioclase nor pyroxene content was sufficient to explain differences in bioactivity between the particles. No statistically significant correlation was found between the amounts of total or soluble elements and MIP-2 release. In conclusion, the results suggest that mineral particles with a high content of plagioclase have a low potential to induce a pro-inflammatory response. However, a particular mineral or element responsible for eliciting strong increases in chemokine release could not be identified. Thus, at present it appears that analysing mineral and element content is insufficient to predict stone particle bioactivity, and that biological testing is a necessity.

Release of inflammatory cytokines, cell toxicity and apoptosis in epithelial lung cells after exposure to ambient air particles of different size fractions.

Several studies have shown that particles of smaller size may be more potent than larger to induce inflammatory and toxic responses in cultured lung cells. However, the relative importance of different size fractions of ambient PM to induce such effects is still not known. In this study, we investigated the potency of different size fractions of urban ambient air particles to induce release of inflammatory cytokines in the human alveolar cell line A549 and primary rat type 2 cells. A mineral-rich ambient air PM10 sample collected in a road tunnel (road PM10) was also included. The coarse fraction of the urban ambient air particles demonstrated a similar or higher potency to induce release of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-8/MIP-2 and IL-6 compared to the fine and ultrafine fractions. The coarse fraction was also the most toxic in both cell systems. In contrast to the A549 cells, no induction of cytokine release was induced by the ultrafine particles in the primary type 2 cells. The mineral-rich road PM10 may be equally or more potent than the various size fractions of the ambient air particles to induce cytokines in both cell types. In conclusion, the coarse fraction of ambient particles may be at least as potent by mass as smaller fractions to induce inflammatory and toxic effects in lung cells.

Mechanisms involved in the induction of apoptosis by T-2 and HT-2 toxins in HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells.

T-2 and HT-2 toxins belong to a group of mycotoxins that are widely encountered as natural contaminants known to elicit toxic responses in hematopoietic cells. In the present study, HL-60 cells were used to characterize the apoptotic effects of T-2 and a major metabolite, HT-2, and to examine the mechanisms involved. Apoptotic cells were identified microscopically by chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation, by flow cytometric analysis, and by DNA gel electrophoresis. T-2 and HT-2 induced concentration-dependent apoptosis after 24 h in HL-60 cells, starting at concentrations of 3.1 and 6.25 ng/ml respectively. An increased number of apoptotic cells could be observed 4-6 h after exposure to 12.5 ng/ml of toxin. Little cytotoxicity (plasma membrane damage) was observed even after exposure to concentrations of toxins (25-50 ng/ml) inducing apoptosis in 60-100% of the cells. The apoptotic process was almost completely blocked in the presence of the general caspase inhibitor zVAD.fmk. In contrast, no or only minor effects were observed with the more specific caspase inhibitors DEVD.CHO, IETD.fmk, and DEVD.fmk. As judged by Western blotting, the levels of several procaspases (-3, -7, -8, -9, but not -12) were reduced 3-6 h after exposure to toxin. Substantial increases in the presumed active form(s) of caspase-8 and -9 were observed. Furthermore, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) was already markedly cleaved 3 h after toxin treatment, indicative of active caspase-3 and -7. No or only minor changes in Bcl-2, Bcl-XL and Bax levels were observed. BAPTA-AM and ZnCl2 blocked the degradation of procaspases, the fragmentation of PARP, and the induction of apoptosis. In summary, both T-2 and HT-2 induced apoptosis, with T-2 being somewhat more potent than HT-2. The divalent calcium concentration, [Ca2+], appears to be involved in the activation of several caspases, resulting in DNA fragmentation, chromosomal condensation, and nuclear fragmentation.

Human exposure to hydrogen fluoride induces acute neutrophilic, eicosanoid, and antioxidant changes in nasal lavage fluid.

The development of asthmalike symptoms among aluminum potroom workers has been associated with exposure to fluorides. In the present study, the immediate nasal response in humans was examined subsequent to short-term hydrogen fluoride (HF) exposure. Ten healthy subjects were exposed to HF (3.3-3.9 mg/m(3)) for 1 h. Nasal lavage (NAL) was performed before, immediately after, and 1.5 h after the end of exposure. Control lavages were performed on the same subjects at the same time points but without HF exposure. At the end of HF exposure, 7 of 10 individuals reported upper airway symptoms. A significant increase was observed in the number of neutrophils and total cells, while there was a decrease in cell viability. The changes in neutrophil numbers correlated significantly with the reported airway symptoms. HF also induced a significant increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha and the total protein content of NAL fluid. Among the eicosanoids, prostaglandin E(2), leukotriene B(4), and peptide leukotrienes were elevated after exposure. Of the antioxidants measured, the concentration of uric acid increased after exposure. In conclusion, exposure to HF induced immediate nasal inflammatory and antioxidant responses in healthy human volunteers. These findings may contribute to a further understanding of the way HF exerts damage to the airways and show that HF could represent an occupational hazard.

Cadmium-induced apoptosis of primary epithelial lung cells: involvement of Bax and p53, but not of oxidative stress.

The lung is a target organ for cadmium (Cd) toxicity. Apoptosis induced by cadmium acetate (CdAc) was studied in alveolar type 2 cells and Clara cells isolated from rat lung. Relatively low concentrations of CdAc (1-10 micromol/L) induced apoptosis after exposure for 20 h. Type 2 cells were more sensitive than Clara cells to Cd-induced apoptosis and loss of cell viability. On exposure to 10 micromol/L CdAc, the levels of the apoptosis-modulating proteins p53 and Bax were increased at 2 h and 5-12 h, respectively. The expression of p53 preceded the expression of Bax and the apoptotic process. The exposure to 10 micromol/L CdAc did not significantly increase the formation of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, after exposure to a high concentration of CdAc (100 micromol/L), a 30% increase of the ROS level was observed. No significant nitric oxide production was measured following CdAc exposure. Catalase, superoxide dismutase, dimethyl sulfoxide, or tetramethylthiourea did not protect against Cd-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, the results show that Clara cells and type 2 cells are sensitive to Cd-induced apoptosis. Increased levels of p53 and Bax are suggested to be involved in the apoptosis. The apoptosis did not appear to be mediated by oxidative pathways.

Mechanisms in fluoride-induced interleukin-8 synthesis in human lung epithelial cells.

Sodium fluoride (NaF) has previously been reported to induce a strong IL-8 response in human epithelial lung cells (A549) via mechanisms that seem to involve the activation of G proteins. In the present study the signal pathways downstream of the G proteins have been examined. NaF induced a weak, but sustained increase in PKC activity. In contrast, the PKC activator TPA induced a relatively strong, but transient effect and augmented the NaF-induced PKC activity. TPA induced a marked IL-8 response compared to NaF. PDB, another PKC activator, was less effective, but augmented the IL-8 response to NaF. Pretreatment with TPA for 20 h, or the PKC inhibitor GF109203X for 1 h, abolished the basal and NaF-induced PKC activities and partially prevented the NaF-induced IL-8 response. Inhibition of the MAP kinase p38 by SB202190 partially reduced the IL-8 response to NaF, whereas a reduction in ERK activity by PD98059 led to an increased response. The NaF-induced IL-8 response was weakly augmented by the PKA stimulator forskolin and the G(i) inhibitor pertussis toxin. The PKA inhibitor H89 seemed to reduce the NaF-induced IL-8 response, but the measured effect was not statistically significant. BAPTA-AM, KN93 and W7, that inhibit Ca(2+)-linked effects, did not affect the IL-8 response. Furthermore, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genestein, the PI-3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin and phosphatase inhibition were without effects. In conclusion, the data suggest that NaF-induced increase of IL-8 in A549 cells involved PKC- and p38-linked pathways, whereas an ERK-dependent pathway counteracted the response. Tyrosine kinases, Ca(2+)-linked pathways, PI-3 kinase, PKA and phosphatase inhibition seem to play no or minor roles in the fluoride-induced IL-8 response.

Rat lung inflammatory responses after in vivo and in vitro exposure to various stone particles.

Rat lung alveolar macrophages and type 2 cells were exposed for 20 h in vitro to various stone particles with differing contents of metals and minerals (a type of mylonite, gabbro, feldspar, and quartz). The capability to induce the release of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) was investigated. We found marked differences in potency between the various particles, with mylonite being most potent overall, followed by gabbro, and with feldspar and quartz having an approximately similar order of lower potency. The results also demonstrated differences in cytokine release pattern between the two cell types. For all particle types including quartz, type 2 cells showed the most marked increase in MIP-2 and IL-6 secretion, whereas the largest increase in TNF-alpha release was observed in macrophages. To investigate possible correlations between in vitro and in vivo inflammatory responses, rats were instilled with the same types of particles and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was collected after 20 h. The results demonstrated a correlation between the in vitro cytokine responses and the number of neutrophilic cells in the BAL fluid. The BAL fluid also showed a strong MIP-2 response to mylonite. However, this was the only particle type to give a significant cytokine response in the BAL fluid. We further examined whether a similar graded inflammatory response would be continued in type 2 cells and alveolar macrophages isolated from the exposed animals. Again a differential cytokine release pattern was observed between type 2 cells and macrophages, although the order of potency between particle types was altered. In conclusion, various stone particles caused differential inflammatory responses after both in vitro and in vivo exposure, with mylonite being the most potent stone particle. The results suggest the alveolar type 2 cell to be an important participant in the inflammatory response following exposure to particles.

Persistent versus transient map kinase (ERK) activation in the proliferation of lung epithelial type 2 cells.

Type 2 pneumocytes are progenitor cells of alveolor epithelium and important for reepithelialization following lung injury. This study examined the role of persistent versus transient mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (extracellular signal-regulated kinase; ERK) in type 2 cell proliferation. Three different types of agents; epidermal growth factor (EGF), 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), and fetal bovine serum (FBS) induced different patterns of ERK activation. FBS induced a strong and persistent MAP kinase response, whereas the effect of EGF was transient with a strong activation at 5 minutes and only a slight stimulation at 4 hours. The TPA response was more prolonged than the EGF response, but not by far as strong and persistent as the FBS response. Activation by EGF and TPA and the early response induced by FBS were strongly reduced by the MEK inhibitor PD98059. The sustained FBS-induced ERK activation was inhibited by approximately 50%. The total number of cell, the percentage of cells in S and G2/M phase of the cell cycle and the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into DNA were strongly increased in response to FBS, whereas EGF and TPA were without effect. The proliferation was reduced by approximately 50% after pretreatment with PD98059. The results indicate that a persistent ERK activation of a critical size leads to type 2 cell proliferation, and that the proliferative response may also depend on a MEK-independent ERK activation.

Fluoride-induced apoptosis in epithelial lung cells involves activation of MAP kinases p38 and possibly JNK.

Exposure to fluorides can induce inflammatory reactions, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis in different experimental systems. Fluorides are known G-protein activators, but less is known about fluoride effects downstream of G-protein activation. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether the induction of apoptosis by fluorides and inhibition of proliferation is mediated by MAP kinases in primary rat lung, alveolar type 2 cells and the human epithelial lung cell line A549. Sodium fluoride (NaF) induced apoptosis in both cell types but at different concentrations, with the primary cells being more sensitive to NAF: Proliferation of the type 2 cells and A549 cells was inhibited in the presence of NAF: NaF induced a prolonged activation of MAP kinase ERK. NaF also activated p38 and JNK in A549 cells for several hours (maximally 6-fold and 3-fold increase, respectively). Inhibition of ERK with the MEK1,2 inhibitor PD98059 increased apoptosis 2-fold, whereas the inhibitor of p38, SB202190, decreased the level of apoptotic cells by approximately 40%. SB202190 also inhibited apoptosis by almost 40% when ERK activity was reduced in the presence of PD98059. Neither PD98059 nor SB202190 did affect the NaF-induced inhibition of proliferation. These observations indicate that activation of MAP kinases p38 and possibly JNK are involved in NaF-induced apoptosis of epithelial lung cells, whereas ERK activation seems to counteract apoptosis in epithelial lung cells. In contrast, activation of ERK and p38 are not involved in NaF-induced inhibition of cell proliferation.