title: Influence of dental amalgam and heavy metal cations on in vitro interleukin-1beta production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: The influence of dental amalgam and heavy metal cations on interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) expression by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors was studied. A marked decrease in the production of IL-1beta was caused by freshly prepared amalgam or amalgam-conditioned culture medium, but not by amalgam aged for 6 weeks. When metal cations were added as salts, Cu(2+), Hg(2+), and Ag(+) at high concentrations (33.3 and 333.3 microM) were highly inhibitory. Among other heavy metal cations, Au(3+), Pt(4+), Ni(2+), Pd(2+), but not Ga(3+) or Sn(2+), inhibited IL-1beta production in a concentration-dependent manner. Flow cytometry studies indicated that Hg(2+) and Ag(+) strongly reduced the percentage of CD14(+) cells containing IL-1beta intracellularly. As shown by Northern blot analysis, Hg(2+) inhibited the level of IL-1beta-specific mRNA by 28% at 3.3 microM and completely at 33.3 microM. Only slight inhibitory effects were induced by Cu(2+) at 33.3 microM. Interestingly, Ag(+) at a concentration of 3.3 microM increased twofold the amount of IL-1beta-specific mRNA. Our data show that IL-1beta production is altered at protein and mRNA levels by components released from fresh amalgam and by other heavy metal cations, suggesting a role of these cations in changes in the cell phenotype and IL-1-mediated cell functions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of General and Experimental Pathology, AKH-3Q, W]ahringer G]urtel 18-20, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Rausch-Fan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schedle
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spittler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gornikiewicz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jensen-Jarolim
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sperr
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boltz-Nitulescu
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003723:Dental Amalgam