Vascular effects of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in dyslipidemic ApoE-/- mice and cultured endothelial cells

Yi Cao, Nicklas Raun Jacobsen, Pernille Høgh Danielsen, Anke G Lenz, Tobias Stoeger, Steffen Loft, Erik Håkan Richard Wallin, Martin Roursgaard, Lone Ærendal Mikkelsen, Peter Møller

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Abstract

Accumulating evidences indicate that pulmonary exposure to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is associated with increased risk of lung diseases, whereas the effect on the vascular system is less studied. We investigated vascular effects of 2 types of multiwalled CNTs (MWCNTs) in apolipoprotein E(-/-) mice, wild-type mice, and cultured cells. The ApoE(-/-) mice had accelerated plaque progression in aorta after 5 intracheal instillations of MWCNT (25.6 μg/mouse weekly for 5 weeks). The exposure was associated with pulmonary inflammation, lipid peroxidation, and increased expression of inflammatory, oxidative stress, DNA repair, and vascular activation response genes. The level of oxidatively damaged DNA in lung tissue was unaltered, probably due to increased DNA repair capacities. Despite upregulation of inflammatory genes in the liver, effects on systemic cytokines and lipid peroxidation were minimal. The exposure to MWCNTs in cultured human endothelial cells increased the expression of cell adhesion molecules (ICAM1 and VCAM1). In cocultures, there was increased adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells after exposure to MWCNT. The exposure to both types of MWCNT was also associated with increased lipid accumulation in monocytic-derived foam cells, which was dependent on concomitant oxidative stress because the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine inhibited the lipid accumulation. Collectively, our results indicate that exposure to MWCNT is associated with accelerated progression of atherosclerosis, which could be related to both increased adherence of monocytes onto the endothelium and oxidative stress-mediated transformation of monocytes to foam cells.

Original languageEnglish
JournalToxicological Sciences
Volume138
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)104-16
Number of pages13
ISSN1096-6080
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2014

Keywords

  • Animals
  • Aorta
  • Apolipoproteins E
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Dyslipidemias
  • Endothelial Cells
  • Endothelium, Vascular
  • Female
  • Foam Cells
  • Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Monocytes
  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Surface Properties
  • Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

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