title: Transcriptomic Analyses of the Biological Effects of Airborne PM2.5 Exposure on Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells.
abstract: Epidemiological studies have associated high levels of airborne particulate matter (PM) with increased respiratory diseases. In order to investigate the mechanisms of air pollution-induced lung toxicity in humans, human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE) were exposed to various concentrations of particles smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) collected from Beijing, China. After observing that PM2.5 decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, we first used Illumina RNA-seq to identify genes and pathways that may contribute to PM2.5-induced toxicity to 16HBE cells. A total of 539 genes, 283 up-regulated and 256 down-regulated, were identified to be significantly differentially expressed after exposure to 25 μg/cm2 PM2.5. PM2.5 induced a large number of genes involved in responses to xenobtiotic stimuli, metabolic response, and inflammatory and immune response pathways such as MAPK signaling and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, which might contribute to PM2.5-related pulmonary diseases. We then confirmed our RNA-seq results by qPCR and by analysis of IL-6, CYP1A1, and IL-8 protein expression. Finally, ELISA assay demonstrated a significant association between exposure to PM2.5 and secretion of IL-6. This research provides a new insight into the mechanisms underlying PM2.5-induced respiratory diseases in Beijing.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.
authors.forename: Zhixiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.
authors.forename: Yanghua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
authors.forename: Fengkui
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.
authors.forename: Mengnan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
authors.forename: Fengchang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
authors.forename: Lixin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory in Environmental Optics & Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
authors.forename: Jianguo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
authors.forename: Kebin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002681:China; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species