title: Contribution of heavy metals to toxicity of coal combustion related fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Caenorhabditis elegans with wild-type or susceptible genetic background.
abstract: Contribution of chemical components in coal combustion related fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to its toxicity is largely unclear. We focused on heavy metals in PM2.5 to investigate their contribution to toxicity formation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Among 8 heavy metals examined (Fe, Zn, Pb, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Ni), Pb, Cr, and Cu potentially contributed to PM2.5 toxicity in wild-type nematodes. Combinational exposure to any two of these three heavy metals caused higher toxicity than exposure to Pb, Cr, or Cu alone. Toxicity from the combinational exposure to Pb, Cr, and Cu at the examined concentrations was higher than exposure to PM2.5 (100 mg/L). Moreover, mutation of sod-2 or sod-3 gene encoding Mn-SOD increased susceptibility in nematodes exposed to Fe, Zn, or Ni, although Fe, Zn, or Ni at the examined concentration did not lead to toxicity in wild-type nematodes. Our results highlight the potential contribution of heavy metals to PM2.5 toxicity in environmental organisms.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Lingmei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Quli
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Peihang
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Qiuhong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Rui
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China. Electronic address: dayongw@seu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Dayong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D003031:Coal; D000068617:Genetic Background; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity*; D009154:Mutation; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D003031:Coal; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D052638:Particulate Matter; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Caenorhabditis elegans; Coal combustion related PM(2.5); Combinational exposure; Heavy metal; Susceptible genetic background