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Production of reactive oxygen species by man-made vitreous fibres in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Maija-Riitta Hirvonen

Kirsi Luoto

National Public Health Institute, Division of Environmental Health, Laboratory of Toxicology, P.O.B. 95, FIN-70701 Kuopio, Finland

Kai M. Savolainen

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Kuopio, P.O.B. 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland; Department of Occupational Hygiene and Toxicology, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, FIN-000250 Helsinki, Finland

Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) or erythrocytes, isolated from human blood, were exposed to graded doses of asbestos (chrysotile), quartz, or man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF), i.e. refractory ceramic fibres (RCF), glasswool, or rockwool fibres. None of the MMVF affected either the viability of PMNL, as measured by trypan blue exclusion test, or induced haemolysis, whereas the positive controls, quartz and chrysotile, dose-dependently induced haemolysis in PMNL. MMVF did not increase the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from the PMNL, whereas the positive controls, chrysotile and quartz, induced a marked and dose-dependent release of LDH. When PMNL were exposed to MMVF, some of the fibre types slightly increased the levels of free intracellular calcium ([Ca²⁺]_i)withinthecellsina manner similar to that induced by chrysotile or quartz. All MMVF induced a dose-dependent production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in PMNL, with RCF-induced production of ROS being the most marked. Production of ROS by MMVF seemed to depend on the availability of extracellular calcium because it could be attenuated with aCa²⁺ channel blocker, verapamil, or a Ca²⁺ chelating agent, EGTA. Production of ROS may be a common pathway through which PMNL respond to MMVF-induced cell activation, but alterations of levels of free intracellular Ca²⁺ do not seem to be an absolute prerequisite for this effect. Fibre length seemed not to be an important factor in affecting the ability of MMVF to induce ROS production in PMNL. However, the balance between different elements in the fibre seemed importantly to affect the biological activity of a fibre.

Key Words: reactive oxygen species • leukocyte activation • man-made vitreous fibres

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 18, No. 6, 354-362 (1999)
DOI: 10.1191/096032799678840228


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