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Templeton S, McVeigh CM, Nguyen C, Hunter R, Scieszka D, Herbert GW, Barr EB, Liu R, Gu H, Bleske BE, Campen MJ, Bolt AM. Acute inhalation of tungsten particles results in early signs of cardiac injury. Toxicol Lett 2023; 384:52-62. [PMID: 37442282 PMCID: PMC10528412 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2023.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have established that exposure to tungsten increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. However, no studies have investigated how tungsten affects cardiac function or the development of cardiovascular disease. Inhalation of tungsten particulates is relevant in occupational settings, and inhalation of particulate matter has a known causative role in driving cardiovascular disease. This study examined if acute inhalation to tungsten particulates affects cardiac function and leads to heart tissue alterations. Female BALB/c mice were exposed to Filtered Air or 1.5 ± 0.23 mg/m3 tungsten particles, using a whole-body inhalation chamber, 4 times over the course of two weeks. Inhalation exposure resulted in mild pulmonary inflammation characterized by an increased percentage and number of macrophages and metabolomic changes in the lungs. Cardiac output was significantly decreased in the tungsten-exposed group. Additionally, A', an indicator of the amount of work required by the atria to fill the heart was elevated. Cardiac gene expression analysis revealed, tungsten exposure increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, markers of remodeling and fibrosis, and oxidative stress genes. These data strongly suggest exposure to tungsten results in cardiac injury characterized by early signs of diastolic dysfunction. Functional findings are in parallel, demonstrating cardiac oxidative stress, inflammation, and early fibrotic changes. Tungsten accumulation data would suggest these cardiac changes are driven by systemic consequences of pulmonary damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sage Templeton
- The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USA
| | - Charlotte M McVeigh
- The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USA
| | - Colin Nguyen
- The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USA
| | - Russell Hunter
- The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USA
| | - David Scieszka
- The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USA
| | - Guy W Herbert
- The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USA
| | - Edward B Barr
- The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USA
| | - Rui Liu
- The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USA
| | - Haiwei Gu
- Center for Translational Science, Florida International University, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA
| | - Barry E Bleske
- The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Matthew J Campen
- The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USA
| | - Alicia M Bolt
- The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USA.
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Miller K, McVeigh CM, Barr EB, Herbert GW, Jacquez Q, Hunter R, Medina S, Lucas SN, Ali AMS, Campen MJ, Bolt AM. Inhalation of tungsten metal particulates alters the lung and bone microenvironments following acute exposure. Toxicol Sci 2021; 184:286-299. [PMID: 34498067 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfab109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhalation of tungsten particulates is a relevant route of exposure in occupational and military settings. Exposure to tungsten alloys is associated with increased incidence of lung pathologies, including interstitial lung disease and cancer. We have demonstrated, oral exposure to soluble tungsten enhances breast cancer metastasis to the lungs through changes in the surrounding microenvironment. However, more research is required to investigate if changes in the lung microenvironment, following tungsten particulate exposure, can drive tumorigenesis or metastasis to the lung niche. This study examined if inhalation to environmentally relevant concentrations of tungsten particulates caused acute damage to the microenvironment in the lungs and/or systemically using a whole-body inhalation system. Twenty-four female BALB/c mice were exposed to Filtered Air, 0.60 mg/m3, or 1.7 mg/m3 tungsten particulates (< 1 µm) for 4 h. Tissue samples were collected at day 1 and 7 post-exposure. Tungsten accumulation in the lungs persisted up to 7 days post-exposure and produced acute changes to the lung microenvironment including increased macrophage and neutrophil infiltration, increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and CXCL1, and an increased percentage of activated fibroblasts (α-SMA+). Exposure to tungsten also resulted in systemic effects on the bone, including tungsten deposition and transient increases in gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Taken together, acute whole-body inhalation of tungsten particulates, at levels commonly observed in occupational and military settings, resulted in changes to the lung and bone microenvironments that may promote tumorigenesis or metastasis and be important molecular drivers of other tungsten-associated lung pathologies such as interstitial lung disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara Miller
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Charlotte M McVeigh
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Edward B Barr
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Guy W Herbert
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Quiteria Jacquez
- College of Nursing, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131
| | - Russell Hunter
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Sebastian Medina
- Department of Biology, New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, NM, 87701
| | - Selita N Lucas
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Abdul-Mehdi S Ali
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131
| | - Matthew J Campen
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Alicia M Bolt
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
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