Immune responses in the Japanese pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) head kidney cells stimulated with particulate silica

Our plain-English summary of Immune responses in the Japanese pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) head kidney cells stimulated with particulate silica, by T. Morimoto, G. Biswas, T. Kono, et al (Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 2016).

The study

• Authors: T. Morimoto, G. Biswas, T. Kono, M. Sakai, J. Hikima
• Journal: Fish & Shellfish Immunology
• Published: 2016;49:84-90
• Cited by: 8 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Studies on immune response to crystal silica in mammals indicate immune stimulation effect of environmental parameters including silica or asbestos, but there is no information on this aspect in lower vertebrates. Therefore, we examined expression of cytokine genes related to innate immunity in the Japanese pufferfish, Fugu (Takifugu rubripes) head kidney (HK) cells stimulated with particulate silica at 10 and 50 μg mL(-1). Expression of eleven cytokine genes was analyzed by the multiplex RT-PCR method (GenomeLab Genetic Analysis System, GeXPS; Beckman Coulter Inc.). Additionally, to confirm functionality of activated inflammatory immunity, we assessed phagocytic activity. Expression of NLR family genes as potential sensor molecules of inflammasome and inflammasome-associated genes (ASC and caspase-1) was also confirmed in HK cells by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). As a result, an increased gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-17A/F3, TNF-α, TNF-β and IFN-γ) and other cytokines (IL-4/13A, IL-4/13B, Type I-IFN) was recorded in particulate silica stimulated HK cells. Moreover, phagocytic activity showed a tendency to significantly increase in stimulated monocyte of HK cells after 6 h. Expression of NLR-C9 and NLR-C12 genes significantly increased in silica-stimulated HK cells. The particulate silica also significantly induced expression of inflammosome-associated genes, which may relate to the induced NLR-Cs.

Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In plain English

This was a laboratory experiment on fish immune cells. It studied particulate silica; asbestos is mentioned only in the background on mammal research. The authors took head kidney cells, an immune organ in fish, from three Japanese pufferfish (Fugu) from a fish farm in Miyazaki, Japan. They exposed the cells to particulate silica at 10 or 50 micrograms per millilitre for up to 36 hours and compared them with unexposed control cells. Of 19 cytokine (immune signalling) genes tested, 11 could be detected. At the higher dose, several inflammation-related genes, including IL-17A/F3, TNF-a, TNF-N and IFN-g, showed higher expression. IL-1b rose only at 24 hours. The ability of mixed white blood cells to engulf particles did not rise significantly at either dose, while in monocytes it rose weakly at 6 hours only, at the lower dose. Two NLR-family genes studied as possible inflammasome sensors, NLR-C9 and NLR-C12, and the genes ASC and caspase-1 were significantly increased at certain time points. The authors concluded that NLR-C12 may be a candidate inflammasome sensor in the reaction triggered by particulate silica.

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: Laboratory (in vitro) experiment on fish head kidney cells
• Who was studied: Head kidney cells from three Japanese pufferfish (Fugu, Takifugu rubripes) obtained from a local fish farm in Miyazaki, Japan; each treatment and control was run in three replicates
• Exposure: Particulate silica at 10 or 50 micrograms per millilitre (unit as given in the published abstract; the scanned text shows 'mg mL1'), with cells incubated for 1, 6, 12, 24 and 36 hours and compared with unstimulated control cells at each time point. No asbestos was tested.
• Main results:
  • Of 19 cytokine genes analysed by multiplex RT-PCR, 11 could be detected and were used in the calculations
  • In cells treated with 50 micrograms per millilitre of silica, the inflammation-related genes IL-17A/F3, TNF-a, TNF-N and IFN-g showed higher expression than in control cells (P less than 0.01)
  • At the 50 micrograms per millilitre dose, IL-1b expression increased at 24 hours only
  • At the 50 micrograms per millilitre dose, IFN-g expression increased from 6 to 24 hours, with its highest peak at 12 hours
  • No specific or significant trends were seen for IL-21 and TGF-b1 in the stimulated cells
  • In head kidney leukocytes, the ability to engulf particles (phagocytic activity) was not significantly raised by silica at either dose
  • In monocytes, phagocytic activity increased weakly at the 10 micrograms per millilitre dose, at 6 hours only
  • The NLR-family genes NLR-C9 and NLR-C12, examined as possible inflammasome sensors, were significantly increased (P less than 0.05) in silica-stimulated cells at 36 hours
  • NLR-C12 was strongly raised at both 6 and 36 hours
  • The inflammasome-associated genes ASC and caspase-1 were significantly increased (P less than 0.05) at 6 hours in cells stimulated with 10 and 50 micrograms per millilitre of silica
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the gene changes indicated an inflammatory response, and that NLR-C12 may be a candidate sensor molecule forming part of an inflammasome in the inflammatory reaction triggered by particulate silica

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Cytokine.

Related studies

• Innate immune activation through Nalp3 inflammasome sensing of asbestos and silica — C. Dostert, V. Pétrilli, et al. (2008)
• Indications for distinct pathogenic mechanisms of asbestos and silica through gene expression profiling of the response of lung epithelial cells — T.N. Perkins, P.M. Peeters, et al. (2015)
• Effects of sustained stimulation with multi-wall carbon nanotubes on immune and inflammatory responses in mice — A. Yamaguchi, T. Fujitani, et al. (2012)
• Early life exposure to environmental tobacco smoke alters immune response to asbestos via a shift in inflammatory phenotype resulting in increased disease development — T.A. Brown, A. Holian, et al. (2016)
• Silica binds serum proteins resulting in a shift of the dose-response for silica-induced chemokine expression in an alveolar type II cell line — E.G. Barrett, C. Johnston, et al. (1999)
• Synthetic hydrosilicate nanotubes induce low pro-inflammatory and cytotoxic responses compared to natural chrysotile in lung cell cultures — T. Skuland, T. Maslennikova, et al. (2020)

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