| Effect of Size of Man-Made and Natural Mineral Fibers on Chemiluminescent Response in Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages Masayuki Ohyama,1 Toru Otake,1 and Kenji Morinaga2 1Osaka Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, Japan; 2Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, Japan
Abstract
Fiber size is an important factor in the tumorigenicity of various mineral fibers and asbestos fibers in animal experiments. We examined the time course of the ability to induce lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) from human monocyte-derived macrophages exposed to Japan Fibrous Material standard reference samples (glass wool, rock wool, micro glass fiber, two types of refractory ceramic fiber, refractory mullite fiber, potassium titanium whisker, silicon carbide whisker, titanium oxide whisker, and wollastonite) . We determined how fiber length or width might modify the response of cells. We found that the patterns of time-dependent increase of CL (sigmoid type) were similar for each sample except wollastonite. We observed a strong correlation between geometric-mean length and ability to induce CL in seven samples > 6 µm in length over the time course (largest r2 = 0.9760) . Although we also observed a close positive correlation between geometric-mean width and the ability to induce CL in eight samples < 1.8 µm in width at 15 min (r2 = 0.8760) , a sample of 2.4 µm in width had a low ability to induce CL. Moreover, the relationship between width and the rate of increase in ability to induce CL had a negative correlation at 30-60 min (largest r2 = 0.7473) . Our findings suggest that the release of superoxide from macrophages occurs nonspecifically for various types of mineral fibers depending on fiber length. Key words: fiber length, glass wool, macrophage, man-made mineral fibers, micro glass fiber, reactive oxygen species, refractory ceramic fiber, rock wool, silicon carbide whisker, superoxide. Environ Health Perspect 109:1033-1038 (2001) . [Online 27 September 2001] http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109p1033-1038ohyama/ abstract.html Address correspondence to M. Ohyama, Osaka Prefectural Institute of Public Health, 1-3-69, Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka 537-0025, Japan. Telephone: +81-6-6972-1321 Fax: +81-6-6972-2393. E-mail: ooyama@iph.pref.osaka.jp We thank the Japan Fibrous Material Research Association for supplying the Japan Fibrous Material standard reference samples. Received 25 December 2000 ; accepted 4 April 2001.
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