Coexposure to microplastic and Bisphenol A exhacerbates damage to human kidney proximal tubular cells
Daniela Verzola,
Noemi Rumeo,
Stefano Alberti,
Fabrizio Loiacono,
Sebastiano La Maestra,
Mario Passalacqua,
Cristina Artini,
Elisa Russo,
Enrico Verrina,
Andrea Angeletti,
Simona Matarese,
Nicoletta Mancianti,
Paolo Cravedi,
Micaela Gentile,
Francesca Viazzi,
Pasquale Esposito,
Edoardo La Porta
Affiliations
Daniela Verzola
Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
Noemi Rumeo
Laboratory of Molecular Nephrology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
Stefano Alberti
DCCI, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Italy
Fabrizio Loiacono
U.O.C. Immunologia, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
Sebastiano La Maestra
Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
Mario Passalacqua
Section Biochemistry, Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
Cristina Artini
DCCI, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Italy; Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry and Technologies for Energy, National Research Council, CNR-ICMATE, Genoa, Italy
Elisa Russo
Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Unit of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
Nicoletta Mancianti
Department of Emergency-Urgency and Transplantation, Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, University Hospital of Siena, Siena, Italy
Paolo Cravedi
Division of Nephrology, Translational Transplant Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
Micaela Gentile
Division of Nephrology, Translational Transplant Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; UO Nefrologia, Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
Francesca Viazzi
Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Unit of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
Pasquale Esposito
Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Unit of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy; Corresponding author. Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
Microplastics (MPs) accumulate in tissues, including kidney tissue, while Bisphenol A (BPA) is a plasticizer of particular concern. At present, the combined effects of MPs and BPA are unexplored in human renal cells. Therefore, we exposed a proximal tubular cell line (PTECs) to polyethylene (PE)-MPs and BPA, both separately and in combination. When co-exposed, cells showed a significantly reduced cell viability (MTT test) and a pronounced pro-oxidant (MDA levels, NRF2 and NOX4 expression by Western blot) and pro-inflammatory response (IL1β, CCL/CCR2 and CCL/CCR5 mRNAs by RT-PCR), compared to those treated with a single compound. In addition, heat shock protein (HSP90), a chaperone involved in multiple cellular functions, was reduced (by Western Blot and immunocytochemistry), while aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) expression, a transcription factor which binds environmental ligands, was increased (RT-PCR and immunofluorescence). Our research can contribute to the study of the nephrotoxic effects of pollutants and MPs and shed new light on the combined effects of BPA and PE-MPs.
