title: The zeta potential of mineral fibres.
abstract: For the first time, the zeta (ξ) potential of pathogenic mineral fibres (chrysotiles, amphiboles and erionite) was systematically investigated to shed light on the relationship between surface reactivity and fibre pathogenicity. A general model explaining the zeta potential of chrysotile, amphiboles and erionite has been postulated. In double distilled water, chrysotiles showed positive values while crocidolite and erionite showed negative values. In contact with organic solutions, all fibres exhibited negative values of zeta potential. The decrease of the surface potential is deemed to be a defensive chemical response of the macrophage cells to minimize hemolytic damage. Negatively charged surfaces favour the binding of collagen and redox activated Fe-rich proteins, to form the so-called asbestos bodies and prompt the formation of HO via the reaction with peroxide (H2O2+e(-)→HO+HO(-)). An additional mechanism accounting for higher carcinogenicity is possibly related to the Ca(2+) sequestration by the fibres with surface negative potential, impairing the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. It was also found that with a negative zeta potential, the attractive forces prevailed over repulsions and favoured processes such as agglomeration responsible of a tumorigenic chronic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via S. Eufemia 19, I-41121 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pollastri
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via S. Eufemia 19, I-41121 Modena, Italy. Electronic address: alessandro.gualtieri@unimore.it.
authors.forename: Alessandro F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Gualtieri
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Ingegneria "Enzo Ferrari", Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, I-41100 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Magdalena Lassinantti
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gualtieri
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Ingegneria "Enzo Ferrari", Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, I-41100 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanuskova
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze dell'ambiente e del territorio e di Scienze della terra, Università di Milano-Bicocca, I-20126 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavallo
authors.affiliation: University of Hawai'I Cancer Center, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gaudino
mesh_terms: D017633:Magnesium Silicates / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
chemical_list: D017633:Magnesium Silicates
keywords: Asbestos; BET; Mineral fibres; Pathogenicity; Zeta potential