title: Study of gaseous benzene effects upon A549 lung epithelial cells using a novel exposure system.
abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are ubiquitous pollutants known to be present in both indoor and outdoor air arising from various sources. Indoor exposure has increasingly become a major cause of concern due to the effects that such pollutants can have on health. Benzene, along with toluene, is one of the main components of the VOC mixture and is a known carcinogen due to its genotoxic effects. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of an in vitro model to study the short-term effects of exposure of lung cells to airborne benzene. We studied the effects of exposure on DNA and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in A549 cells, exposed to various concentrations of benzene (0.03; 0.1; 0.3 ppm) in gaseous form using a custom designed cell exposure chamber. Results showed a concentration-dependent increase of DNA breaks and an increase of ROS production, confirming the feasibility of the experimental procedure and validating the model for further in vitro studies of exposure to other VOCs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health and Risk Management, School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mascelloni
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health and Risk Management, School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom. Electronic address: j.m.delgadosaborit@bham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Juana Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Delgado-Saborit
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nikolas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Hodges
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Health and Risk Management, School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; Department of Environmental Sciences/Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Roy M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D001554:Benzene / Q000633:toxicity*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D014050:Toluene / Q000633:toxicity; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; D014050:Toluene; D001554:Benzene
keywords: A549; Benzene exposure; Comet assay; In vitro; ROS; Volatile organic compounds