title: Dissolution of short and long rockwool and glasswool fibers by macrophages in flowthrough cell culture.
abstract: Dissolution of MMVF (man-made vitreous fibers) by macrophages has previously been studied utilizing cell cultures in wells. A new, more dynamic method has been developed to explore the effects of macrophages on MMVF dissolution. In this method, the culture medium flows through a membrane on which the macrophages and fibers are placed. The dissolution of short and long rockwool and glasswool fibers was investigated in the present study by macrophages by assessing the dissolution of Si (silicon), Fe (iron), and Al (aluminium) from the fibers. Dissolution of these elements usually increased as a function of time. Generally, the dissolution of elements from the fibers in the flowthrough culture exceeded that observed with the culture in wells system. The dissolution of glasswool fibers was greater in medium than in cell culture, whereas the opposite was true for rockwool fibers. Dissolution of Si was greater from glasswool than from rockwool fibers, while the opposite was true for Fe and Al. Macrophages that had phagocytized fibers in flowthrough culture contained Si, and there were also precipitations with Si in the samples. The fibers in the flowthrough culture also exhibited surface changes such as breakings, pittings, etching, and peeling. The short rockwool fibers tended to fracture more than short glasswool fibers, while long glasswool fibers were more extensively broken than short glasswool fibers. The results with this new, dynamic, flowthrough culture method with macrophages demonstrate that this method provides valuable information on the abilities of macrophages to dissolve MMVF leading to subsequent morphological changes of fibers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Luoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holopainen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kangas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kalliokoski
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Savolainen
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000737:chemistry; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005898:Glass; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019016:Mineral Fibers; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D019016:Mineral Fibers; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D000535:Aluminum; D007501:Iron