title: The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of soluble and particulate cobalt in human lung epithelial cells.
abstract: Cobalt is a toxic metal used in various industrial applications leading to adverse lung effects by inhalation. Cobalt is considered a possible human carcinogen with the lung being a primary target. However, few studies have considered cobalt-induced toxicity in human lung cells, especially normal lung epithelial cells. Therefore, in this study, we sought to determine the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of particulate and soluble cobalt in normal primary human lung epithelial cells. Cobalt oxide and cobalt chloride were used as representative particulate and soluble cobalt compounds, respectively. Exposure to both particulate and soluble cobalt induced a concentration-dependent increase in cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and intracellular cobalt ion levels. Based on intracellular cobalt ion levels, we found that soluble and particulate cobalt induced similar cytotoxicity while soluble cobalt was more genotoxic than particulate cobalt. These data indicate that cobalt compounds are cytotoxic and genotoxic to human lung epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine, 04104.|Toxikon Corp, Bedford, Massachusetts, 01730.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine, 04104.
authors.forename: Leah J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine, 04104.|Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215.
authors.forename: Amie L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Tongzhang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine, 04104.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pierce Wise
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000139:chemically induced; D003035:Cobalt / Q000633:toxicity*; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D010087:Oxides / Q000633:toxicity*; D010316:Particle Size; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D003603:Cytotoxins; D009153:Mutagens; D010087:Oxides; D003035:Cobalt; C018021:cobaltous chloride; C060728:cobalt oxide
keywords: cobalt; cobalt oxide; cytotoxicity; genotoxicity; normal human lung epithelial cells