Background In the lung, macrophages attempt to engulf inhaled high aspect ratio pathogenic materials, secreting inflammatory molecules in the process. The inability of macrophages to remove these materials leads to chronic inflammation and disease. How the biophysical and biochemical mechanisms of these effects are influenced by fiber length remains undetermined. This study evaluates the role of fiber length on phagocytosis and molecular inflammatory responses to non-cytotoxic fibers, enabling development of quantitative length-based models. Methods Murine alveolar macrophages were exposed to long and short populations of JM-100 glass fibers, produced by successive sedimentation and repeated crushing, respectively. Interactions between fibers and macrophages were observed using time-lapse video microscopy, and quantified by flow cytometry. Inflammatory biomolecules (TNF-α, IL-1 α, COX-2, PGE2) were measured. Results Uptake of short fibers occurred more readily than for long, but long fibers were more potent stimulators of inflammatory molecules. Stimulation resulted in dose-dependent secretion of inflammatory biomolecules but no cytotoxicity or strong ROS production. Linear cytokine dose-response curves evaluated with length-dependent potency models, using measured fiber length distributions, resulted in identification of critical fiber lengths that cause frustrated phagocytosis and increased inflammatory biomolecule production. Conclusion Short fibers played a minor role in the inflammatory response compared to long fibers. The critical lengths at which frustrated phagocytosis occurs can be quantified by fitting dose-response curves to fiber distribution data.
Bacterial pathogens trigger cell death by a variety of mechanisms, including injection of effector proteins. Effector proteins have great potential as anticancer agents because they efficiently subvert a variety of eukaryotic signaling pathways involved in cancer development, drug resistance, and metastasis. In breast cancer, MAPK and NFκB pathways are known to be dysregulated. YopJ, an effector from Yersinia pestis, downregulates MAPK and NFκB pathways to induce cell death in specific cell types. We expressed YopJ in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase (GST), forming self-assembled protein nanoparticles with diameters of 100 nm. YopJ-GST nanoparticles efficiently delivered protein to cells, replacing the need for the pathogen secretion mechanism for effector delivery to cells. These nanoparticles induced dose and time dependent death in SKBR-3 breast cancer cells. After 72 h, 97% of cells died, significantly more than with the same molar dose of doxorubicin. Treatment with sublethal doses of nanoparticles decreased cell migration in vitro and downregulated the MAPK ERK 1/2 pathway, which has been correlated to metastasis. Exposure to a panel of breast cancer cell lines showed that YopJ-GST nanoparticles are cytotoxic to different subtypes, including doxorubicin resistant cells. However, they were not cytotoxic to NIH/3T3 fibroblasts or HeLa cells. Thus, YopJ-GST nanoparticles demonstrate the potential of effector proteins as breast cancer therapeutics with selective cytotoxicity and the capacity to decrease metastatic predictive behaviors.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.