title: AMPK is required for PM2.5-induced autophagy in human lung epithelial A549 cells.
abstract: The aim is to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the PM2.5-induced autophagy in human lung cancer epithelial cells (A549). The effects of the PM2.5 on morphological and biochemical markers of autophagy in A549 were analyzed by electron microscopy, GFP-LC3 puncta was observed by confocal fluorescence microscope. The effects of phosphorylation of AMPK, mTOR, AKT, ERK, JNK, and p53 on LC3II in A549 were observed following PM2.5 exposure; the role of autophagy in PM2.5-induced apoptosis was examined using 3-methyladenine and rapamycin. PM2.5 induced morphological and biochemical markers of autophagy in A549. Phosphorylation of AMPK and dephosphorylation of mTOR were observed following PM2.5 treatment, and AMPK inhibitor blocked LC3B-II expression. In addition, we demonstrated that PM2.5-induced autophagy confers a pro-survival role in host defense.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Guangdong Medical College China.
authors.forename: Yahong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Guangdong Medical College China.
authors.forename: Ziying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Guangdong Medical College China.
authors.forename: Haili
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Guangdong Medical College China.
authors.forename: Huijuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Guangdong Medical College China.
authors.forename: Lawei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Guangdong Medical College China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Guangdong Medical College China.
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Guangdong Medical College China ; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College China.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Guangdong Medical College China ; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Guangdong Medical College China ; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College China.
authors.forename: Wenya
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center USA.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kamp
authors.affiliation: Immunology and Tumor Research Instituted, The First Affiliated Hospital, Health Science Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University China.
authors.forename: Tie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Guangdong Medical College China ; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: A549; COPD; PM2.5; autophagy; oxidative stress