In vitro genotoxicity assay of sidestream smoke using a human bronchial epithelial cell line

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 845 - 850
• Main Authors: Wolz, L., Krause, G., Scherer, G., Aufderheide, M., Mohr, U.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2002; New York, NY Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Air/liquid interface; Airborne pollutants; Biological and medical sciences; Bronchi - drug effects; Bronchi - metabolism; Bronchi - pathology; Cell Count; Cell Line; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Comet Assay; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Epithelial Cells - metabolism; Epithelial Cells - pathology; Human lung cells; Humans; In vitro exposure; Medical sciences; Mutagens - toxicity; Nitrogen Dioxide - toxicity; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - adverse effects; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - analysis; Tobacco, tobacco smoking; Toxicology; Airborne pollutants; ETS; Human lung cells; MS; In vitro exposure; EMA; SCGE; Air/liquid interface; ADSS; Comet assay; CEA; PET; Human; Tobacco; Cytotoxicity test; Mutagenicity testing; Toxicity; Genotoxicity; Established cell line; Bronchus; Epithelial cell; Sidestream smoke; In vitro
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/S0278-6915(02)00034-0

Genotoxic effects of air contaminants, such as gaseous or particulate compounds, have been difficult to investigate due to inefficient methods for exposing cell cultures directly to these substances. New cultivation and exposure techniques enable treatment of epithelial cells with sample atmospheres with subsequent in vitro assays, as demonstrated by a new system called CULTEX (CULTEX: patent No. DE 19801763; PCT/EP99/00295), which uses a transwell membrane technique for direct exposure of complex mixtures, for example sidestream cigarette smoke, at the air/liquid interface. The sensitivity and susceptibility of human bronchial epithelial cells to this complex mixture have already been shown for cytotoxic endpoints. In this study, genotoxic effects of sidestream cigarette smoke at different concentrations were assessed using the alkaline comet assay. HFBE 21 cells were exposed for 1 h to clean air, nitrogen dioxide or sidestream smoke. Exposure of the cells to sidestream cigarette smoke induced DNA strand breaks in a dose-dependent manner. The combination of gas phase exposure and the comet assay provides a realistic and efficient model for sensitive detection of DNA strand breaks induced by airborne and inhalable compounds.