In vitro genotoxicity of airborne Ni‐NP in air–liquid interface

Abstract

Studies using advanced toxicological methods enabling in vitro conditions that are more realistic are currently needed for understanding the risks of pulmonary exposure to airborne nanoparticles. Owing to the carcinogenicity of certain nickel compounds, the increased production of nickel nanoparticles (Ni‐NPs) raises occupational safety concerns. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotoxicity of airborne Ni‐NPs using a recently developed air–liquid interface exposure system. The wild‐type Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cell line (V79) was used and cytotoxicity, DNA damage and mutagenicity were studied by testing colony forming efficiency, alkaline DNA unwinding and HPRT mutation assays, respectively. Additionally, co‐exposure to a PARP‐1 inhibitor was performed to test possible involvement of base excision repair (BER) in repair of Ni‐induced DNA damage. The results showed that cell viability was reduced significantly (to 45% and 46%) after 48 hours Ni‐NP exposure at concentrations of 0.15 and 0.32 μg cm−2. DNA damage was significantly increased after Ni‐NP exposure in the presence of the BER inhibitor indicating that Ni‐NP‐induced DNA damages are subsequently repaired by BER. Furthermore, there was no increased HPRT mutation frequency following Ni‐NP exposure. In conclusion, this study shows that Ni‐NP treatment of lung fibroblasts in an air–liquid interface system that mimics real‐life exposure, results in increased DNA strand breaks and reduced cellular viability. These DNA lesions were repaired with BER in an error‐free manner without resulting in mutations. This study also underlines the importance of appropriate quantification of the actual exposure concentrations during air–liquid interface exposure studies.

Dry Generation of CeO2 Nanoparticles and Deposition onto a Co-Culture of A549 and THP-1 Cells in Air-Liquid Interface—Dosimetry Considerations and Comparison to Submerged Exposure

“…In our ALI system, we were able to successfully generate and deposit CeO 2 NPs from dry powder onto the co-cultures in doses between 0.5-5 µg/cm 2 . Although experiments using ALI systems in general are quite challenging and more time consuming compared to submerged exposures, some advantages with using the PreciseInhale/XposeALI platform were noted when compared to our previous experiences [8,26]. These include the low amount of powder (mg) needed for the whole study, as well as the relatively short time needed for deposition in the XposeALI unit (approx.…”

Development and Evaluation of an In Vitro Test System for Toxicity Screening of Aerosols Released from Consumer Products and First Application to Aerosols from a Hair Straightening Process

“…Regarding complex airborne mixtures, smokes or exhausts have been studied such as diesel exhausts 3,4 or cigarette smoke. [5][6][7] Also, mixtures from volatile organic compounds have been evaluated [8][9][10] as well as nanoparticles 11,12 also focused on environmental relevance. 13 The aim of the present study was to establish a comprehensive in vitro inhalation model, enabling the testing of gases, vapors, or aerosols, which might be released during use of a professional hair straightening product or other related consumer products.…”

The pulmonary effects of nickel-containing nanoparticles: cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and their underlying mechanisms

“…Latvala et al reported that exposure to 0.15 and 0.32 μg cm −2 of 35-40 nm Ni NPs in the air-liquid interface for 48 h caused decreased cell viability in Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (V79). 58 And Zhang et al reported that exposure of rat alveolar macrophages, isolated by bronchioalveolar lavage (BAL), to 20 nm Ni NPs caused severe macrophage damage, which was reflected in an increase in the relative LDH activity in the supernatant. Furthermore, macrophages from old rats released significantly more TNF-α than macrophages from young rats, suggesting that Ni NP-induced inflammation may be more severe in old individuals.…”