title: Human macrophages constitute targets for immunotoxic inorganic arsenic.
abstract: Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic, a widely distributed environmental contaminant, can lead to toxic effects, including immunosuppression. Owing to the established roles of human macrophages in immune defense, we determined, in the present study, whether inorganic arsenic can affect these major immune cells. Our results demonstrate that noncytotoxic concentrations of arsenic trioxide (As2O3), an inorganic trivalent form, markedly impair differentiated features of human blood monocyte-derived macrophages. First, treatment of macrophages with 1 microM As2O3 induced a rapid cell rounding and a subsequent loss of adhesion. These morphologic alterations were associated with a marked reorganization of actin cytoskeleton, which includes retraction of peripheral actin extensions and formation of a cortical actin ring. In addition, As2O3 reduced expression of various macrophagic surface markers, enhanced that of the monocytic marker CD14, and altered both endocytosis and phagocytosis; unexpectedly, exposure of macrophages to the metalloid also strongly potentiated expression of TNFalpha and IL-8 induced by LPS. Finally, like monocytes, As2O3-treated macrophages can be differentiated into dendritic-like cells. Impairment of macrophage function by As2O3 mainly resulted from activation of a RhoA/Rho-associated kinase pathway; indeed, pretreatment of macrophages with the Rho-associated kinase inhibitor Y-27632 prevented metalloid effects on cytoskeleton and phagocytosis. Moreover, As2O3 was found to increase level of the active GTP-bound form of RhoA and that of phosphorylated-Moesin, a major cytoskeleton adaptor protein involved in RhoA regulation. Taken together, our results demonstrated that human macrophages constitute sensitive targets of inorganic arsenic, which may contribute to immunotoxicity of this environmental contaminant.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 620, Détoxication et Réparation Tissulaire, Université de Rennes-1, France.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lemarie
authors.forename: Claudie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morzadec
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bourdonnay
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fardel
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vernhet
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001151:Arsenic / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000187:drug effects; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D010641:Phenotype; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D016209:Interleukin-8; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D001151:Arsenic