Respiratory and systemic impacts following MWCNT inhalation in B6C3F1/N mice.

Background: A very pure multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) that was shown to have very low toxicity in vitro, was evaluated for lung and systemic effects and distribution following inhalation exposure.

Methods: B6C3F1/N mice were exposed to varying doses (0, 0.06, 0.

Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes of Varying Size Lead to DNA Methylation Changes That Correspond to Lung Inflammation and Injury in a Mouse Model.

Diversity in physicochemical properties of engineered multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) increases the complexity involved in interpreting toxicity studies of these materials. Studies indicate that epigenetic changes could be at least partially involved in MWCNTs-induced pro-inflammatory and fibrotic lung pathology. Therefore, we examined distinct methylation changes in response to MWCNTs of varied sizes to identify potential epigenetic biomarkers of MWCNTs exposure and disease progression.

Autophagy deficiency in macrophages enhances NLRP3 inflammasome activity and chronic lung disease following silica exposure.

Autophagy is an important metabolic mechanism that can promote cellular survival following injury. The specific contribution of autophagy to silica-induced inflammation and disease is not known. The objective of these studies was to determine the effects of silica exposure on the autophagic pathway in macrophages, as well as the general contribution of autophagy in macrophages to inflammation and disease.

Effect of MWCNT size, carboxylation, and purification on in vitro and in vivo toxicity, inflammation and lung pathology.

Background: Several properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have the potential to affect their bioactivity. This study examined the in vitro and in vivo outcomes of the influence of diameter, length, purification and carboxylation (in vitro testing only) of MWCNT.

Methods: Three original 'as received' MWCNT that varied in size (diameter and length) were purified and functionalized by carboxylation.

Prostaglandin I₂promotes the development of IL-17-producing γδ T cells that associate with the epithelium during allergic lung inflammation.

γδ T cells rapidly produce cytokines and represent a first line of defense against microbes and other environmental insults at mucosal tissues and are thus thought to play a local immunoregulatory role. We show that allergic airway inflammation was associated with an increase in innate IL-17-producing γδ T (γδ-17) cells that expressed the αEβ7 integrin and were closely associated with the airway epithelium. Importantly, PGI(2) and its receptor IP, which downregulated airway eosinophilic inflammation, promoted the emergence of these intraepithelial γδ-17 cells into the airways by enhancing IL-6 production by lung eosinophils and dendritic cells.

Manganese enhances peroxynitrite and leukotriene E4 formation in bovine aortic endothelial cells exposed to arsenic.

Long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water has been linked to cancer and other health effects, including cardiovascular disease. Arsenic in the environment is found in combination with a range of metals that could influence its toxicity. Manganese, in particular, is a metal that is typically found in conjunction with arsenic in contaminated groundwater.