New exposure system to evaluate the toxicity of (scooter) exhaust emissions in lung cells in vitro.
A constantly growing number of scooters produce an increasing amount of potentially harmful emissions. Due to their engine technology, two-stroke scooters emit huge amounts of adverse substances, which can induce adverse pulmonary and cardiovascular health effects. The aim of this study was to develop a system to expose a characterized triple cell coculture model of the human epithelial airway barrier, to freshly produced and characterized total scooter exhaust emissions. In exposure chambers, cell cultures were exposed for 1 and 2 h to 1:100 diluted exhaust emissions and in the reference chamber to filtered ambient air, both controlled at 5% CO(2), 85% relative humidity, and 37 degrees C. The postexposure time was 0-24 h. Cytotoxicity, used to validate the exposure system, was significantly increased in exposed cell cultures after 8 h postexposure time. (Pro-) inflammatory chemo- and cytokine concentrations in the medium of exposed cells were significantly higher at the 12 h postexposure time point. It was shown that the described exposure system (with 2 h exposure duration, 8 and 24 h postexposure time, dilution of 1:100, flow of 2 L/min as optimal exposure conditions) can be used to evaluate the toxic potential of total exhaust emissions.
Müller
Loretta
L
Institute of Anatomy, Division of Histology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 2, Bern 9, Switzerland. loretta.mueller@ana.unibe.ch
Comte
Pierre
P
Czerwinski
Jan
J
Kasper
Markus
M
Mayer
Andreas C R
AC
Gehr
Peter
P
Burtscher
Heinz
H
Morin
Jean-Paul
JP
Konstandopoulos
Athanasios
A
Rothen-Rutishauser
Barbara
B
D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology*; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000633:toxicity*
D052638:Particulate Matter; D001335:Vehicle Emissions