A Novel Exposure System for the Efficient and Controlled Deposition of Aerosol Particles onto Cell Cultures

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 42; no. 15; pp. 5667 - 5674
• Main Authors: Savi, Melanie, Kalberer, Markus, Lang, Doris, Ryser, Manuel, Fierz, Martin, Gaschen, Annina, Rička, Jaroslav, Geiser, Marianne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.08.2008
• Subjects: Aerosols; Aerosols - metabolism; Aerosols - toxicity; Air Pollutants - metabolism; Air Pollutants - toxicity; Applied sciences; Bronchi - cytology; Bronchi - drug effects; Bronchi - metabolism; Bronchi - pathology; Cell culture; Cell Culture Techniques - instrumentation; Cell Culture Techniques - methods; Correlation analysis; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Environmental Measurements Methods; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Epithelial Cells - metabolism; Exact sciences and technology; Human exposure; Humans; Inhalation Exposure; Lungs; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Morbidity; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanoparticles - toxicity; Particle Size; Pollution; Temperature; Time Factors; Correlation analysis; Nanoparticle; Aerosols; Aerosol deposition; Particle interaction; Air pollution; Ultrafine particle; In vitro; Particle number
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es703075q

Epidemiologic studies have shown correlations between morbidity and particles ≤2.5 μm generated from pollution processes and manufactured nanoparticles. Thereby nanoparticles seem to play a specific role. The interaction of particles with the lung, the main pathway of undesired particle uptake, is poorly understood. In most studies investigating these interactions in vitro, particle deposition differs greatly from the in vivo situation, causing controversial results. We present a nanoparticle deposition chamber to expose lung cells mimicking closely the particle deposition conditions in the lung. In this new deposition chamber, particles are deposited very efficiently, reproducibly, and uniformly onto the cell culture, a key aspect if cell responses are quantified in respect to the deposited particle number. In situ analyses of the lung cells, e.g., the ciliary beat frequency, indicative of the defense capability of the cells, are complemented by off-line biochemical, physiological, and morphological cell analyses.