Cytotoxic effects of macrophages and asbestos on transformed rat mesothelial cells

Our plain-English summary of Cytotoxic effects of macrophages and asbestos on transformed rat mesothelial cells, by V.A. Furalev, I.V. Kravchenko, L.A. Vasil'eva, et al (Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2002).

The study

• Authors: V.A. Furalev, I.V. Kravchenko, L.A. Vasil'eva, L.N. Pylev
• Journal: Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine
• Published: 2002;133(1):71-3
• Cited by: 1 article, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Asbestos produced a cytotoxic effect on transformed cells of rat pleural mesothelium and on IAR2 epithelial cells and Rat1 fibroblasts transformed by ras oncogene, but not on normal cells of these strains under conditions of coculturing with peritoneal macrophages. Contact of mesothelioma cells, but not macrophages with asbestos was necessary and sufficient for attaining the cytotoxic effect. Macrophage-conditioned medium potentiated asbestos cytotoxicity for transformed mesothelial cells, but not for IARS-ras and Rat1-ras.

In plain English

This laboratory study used cell cultures to test how rat macrophages (a type of immune cell) and chrysotile asbestos together affect different rat cells. The authors grew rat mesothelioma cells, normal rat pleural mesothelial cells, and normal and ras-transformed IAR2 epithelial cells and Rat1 fibroblasts. They added rat peritoneal macrophages and textile Bazhenov chrysotile asbestos at 5 µg per square centimetre, then counted surviving cells after 48 hours. Mesothelioma cells obtained from animals were the most sensitive to the combined effect. Cells transformed in culture were less sensitive, and early-passage mesothelial cells and nontransformed cells showed low sensitivity. When macrophages and mesothelioma cells grew on separate surfaces, cells died only when asbestos touched the mesothelioma cells. Medium conditioned by macrophages was not toxic on its own, and asbestos alone killed about 5% of cells. Together, they were toxic only to transformed mesothelioma cells. The authors concluded that macrophages release short-lived factors and stable factors, and that the stable ones are not toxic themselves but increase asbestos toxicity.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: in vitro cell culture experiment
• Who was studied: Cultured cells: pleural mesothelial cells and mesothelioma cells of Wistar rats, Rat1 and Rat1-ras fibroblasts, IAR2 and IAR2-ras epithelial cells, with peritoneal macrophages from Wistar rats; for conditioned media, also human peripheral blood granulocytes, lymphocytes and monocytes
• Exposure: Textile Bazhenov chrysotile asbestos (50% of fibers thinner than 1 micron, 70% of fibers 10 to 50 microns long) at a final concentration of 5 µg/cm2 for 48 hours, combined with peritoneal macrophages in various doses or with macrophage-conditioned medium (10%)
• Main results:
  • In coculture with macrophages and asbestos, malignant mesothelioma cells obtained in vivo were the most sensitive. Cells transformed in vitro were less sensitive, and early-passage mesothelial cells and nontransformed IAR2 and Rat1 cells showed low sensitivity.
  • When macrophages and mesothelioma cells were grown on different surfaces, the cytotoxic effect appeared only when asbestos contacted the mesothelioma cells. Macrophage contact with the fibers made no difference.
  • With asbestos plus macrophage-conditioned medium, only transformed mesothelioma cells were sensitive. IAR2 cells, Rat1 fibroblasts (normal and transformed) and normal mesothelial cells were resistant.
  • Macrophage-conditioned medium alone was not cytotoxic. Asbestos alone had a negligible effect, killing about 5% of cells (data not presented).
  • Only media conditioned by rat peritoneal macrophages and by human peripheral blood monocytes increased asbestos cytotoxicity. Media from the other cell types tested, including human lymphocytes and granulocytes, were inactive (data not presented).
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that macrophages secrete two classes of factors that kill transformed mesothelial cells: very short-lived ones, and stable ones. The stable factors have no cytotoxic effect of their own but increase the cytotoxicity of asbestos. The authors said the mechanisms should be investigated further.

Mines named here

Asbestos mines this study is about. Each mine's page says who ran it, when it worked, and what it produced.

• Bajenova district, Bajenova district, about 90 km northeast of Sverdlovsk, Russia

All asbestos mines

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Macrophage, Mesothelial Cells, Mesothelium, Fibroblast, Mesothelioma.

Related studies

• Factors secreted by peritoneal macrophages are cytotoxic for transformed rat pleural mesothelium and mesothelioma cells — I.V. Kravchenko, V.A. Furalyov, et al. (2003)
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• Protective effect of natural flavonoids on rat peritoneal macrophages injury caused by asbestos fibers — V.A. Kostyuk, A.I. Potapovich, et al. (1996)
• DNA breakage in asbestos-treated normal and transformed (TSV40) rat pleural mesothelial cells — V. Levresse, A. Renier, et al. (2000)
• Dual preventive benefits of iron elimination by desferal in asbestos-induced mesothelial carcinogenesis — L. Jiang, S.H. Chew, et al. (2016)
• Asbestos Induces Oxidative Stress and Activation of Nrf2 Signaling in Murine Macrophages: Chemopreventive Role of the Synthetic Lignan Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside (LGM2605) — R.A. Pietrofesa, A. Velalopoulou, et al. (2016)

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