Genotoxic and immunomodulatory effects in human white blood cells after <i>ex vivo</i> exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics

Ballesteros, Sandra; Domenech, Josefa; Barguilla, Irene; Cortés, Constanza; Marcos, Ricard; Hernández, Alba

doi:10.1039/d0en00748j

Cited by 53 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…These differences might be due to the inherent characteristics of the cell model used. For instance, our group used different white blood cell types to assess the effects of ex vivo exposures on several toxicity biomarkers, and the results show that, albeit all the cell lineages presented toxic effects, there were substantial differences among each target cell type [14]. Nonetheless, all these reports evaluate the effects of nanoplastic on a short time window, while adverse effects on human health could also rise due to the accumulation of nanoplastics following continuous exposure.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While some previous studies have found higher levels of DNA damage in samples treated with PSNPs, others have recorded no genotoxic or oxidative DNA damage associated with PSNPs exposure. On the one hand, one study observed DNA damage in half of the lymphocytes treated with PSNPs after acute exposure, while another one shows that PSNPs' genotoxic damage depends on the white cell lineage analyzed [14,39]. On the other hand, another study reported differences in the genotoxic effects observed in human lung cancer and macrophage cells after acute exposure to differently functionalized PSNPs particles [40].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To ensure a constant exposure condition, cell culture was replaced every 2-3 days with new media containing the desired concentration of PSNPs. These nanoplastics were chosen to extend our previous acute studies evaluating different biological endpoints [13,14]. Their internalization and accumulation were monitored throughout the study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long-Term Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Human Intestinal Caco-2 Cells

et al. 2021

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The increasing presence of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPLs) in the environment, and their consequent accumulation in trophic niches, could pose a potential health threat to humans, especially due to their chronic ingestion. In vitro studies using human cells are considered pertinent approaches to determine potential health risks to humans. Nevertheless, most of such studies have been conducted using short exposure times and high concentrations. Since human exposure to MNPLs is supposed to be chronic, there is a lack of information regarding the potential in vitro MNPLs effects under chronic exposure conditions. To this aim, we assessed the accumulation and potential outcomes of polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNPs), as a model of MNPLs, in undifferentiated Caco-2 cells (as models of cell target in ingestion exposures) under a relevant long-term exposure scenario, consisting of eight weeks of exposure to sub-toxic PSNPs concentrations. In such exposure conditions, culture-media was changed every 2–3 days to maintain constant exposure. The different analyzed endpoints were cytotoxicity, dysregulation of stress-related genes, genotoxicity, oxidative DNA damage, and intracellular ROS levels. These are endpoints that showed to be sensitive enough in different studies. The obtained results attest that PSNPs accumulate in the cells through time, inducing changes at the ultrastructural and molecular levels. Nevertheless, minor changes in the different evaluated genotoxicity-related biomarkers were observed. This would indicate that no DNA damage or oxidative stress is observed in the human intestinal Caco-2 cells after long-term exposure to PSNPs. This is the first study dealing with the long-term effects of PSNPs on human cultured cells.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long-Term Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Human Intestinal Caco-2 Cells

et al. 2021

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“…Arsenic is a well-known genotoxic compound and one of its most studied mechanisms of action is the induction of ROS and oxidative stress [45]. In addition, plenty of those studies reporting adverse effects of MNPLs have detected increased ROS levels and DNA damage after short-term exposures [10][11][12]46]. Concordantly, with the analysis of the long-term effects of the exposure to PSNPLs, As III , and PSNPLs/As III we found a signi cant increase in the total and oxidative DNA damage when compared with passage-matched AsTC (see Figure 4).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mouse embryonic broblasts phenotypically sensitive to oxidative damage, and previously transformed by 30 weeks of continuous sodium arsenite (As III ) exposure (2 µM) [30], were used in this study and will be henceforth referenced as arsenic-transformed cells (AsTC). AsTC were grown in DMEM medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum, as previously reported [12].…”

Section: Cell Culture Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nanoplastics and Arsenic Co-Exposures Exacerbate Oncogenic Biomarkers Under an in Vitro Long-Term Exposure Scenario

Marcos

Barguilla

Domenech

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background The increasing accumulation of plastic waste and the widespread presence of its derivatives, micro- and nanoplastics (MNPLs), call for an urgent evaluation of their potential health risks. In the environment, MNPLs coexist with other known hazardous contaminants and, thus, an interesting question arises as to whether MNPLs can act as carriers of such pollutants, modulating their uptake and their harmful effects. In this context, we have examined the interaction and joint effects of two relevant water contaminants: arsenic and polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPLs), this last being a model of nanoplastic. Methods Since both agents are persistent pollutants, the potential effects have been evaluated under a chronic exposure scenario and measuring different effect biomarkers involved in the cell transformation process. Thus, cells previously transformed by chronic arsenic exposure were further exposed to PSNPLs, arsenic, and the combination PSNPLs/arsenic for 12 weeks. Results Interestingly, a physical interaction between both pollutants was demonstrated by using TEM/EDX methodologies. Results also indicate that the continuous co-exposure enhances the DNA damage and the aggressive features of the initially transformed phenotype. Remarkably, co-exposed cells present a higher proportion of spindle-like cells within the population, an increased capacity to grow independently of anchorage, as well as enhanced migrating and invading potentials when compared to cells exposed to arsenic or PSNPLs alone. Conclusions This study highlights the need for further studies exploring the long-term effects of contaminants of emerging concern such as MNPLs, and the importance of considering the behavior of mixtures as part of the hazard and human risk assessment approaches.

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