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Application of a genetically engineered macrophage cell line for evaluating cellular effects of UV/US-treated poly(ethylene terephthalate) microplastics

Colloids and Surfaces B Biointerfaces 2023 6 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Tadao Tanabe, Naoto Washihira, Naoto Washihira, Naoto Washihira, Naoto Washihira, Naoto Washihira, Mika Murakami, Mika Murakami, Mika Murakami, Naoto Washihira, Mika Murakami, Miho Nakamura, Mako Kobayashi, Miho Nakamura, Mako Kobayashi, Miho Nakamura, Miho Nakamura, Tadao Tanabe, Sho Fujii, Sho Fujii, Sho Fujii, Akio Kishida, Tadao Tanabe, Takahide Matsushima, Takahide Matsushima, Hiroshi Asahara, Hiroshi Asahara, Tadao Tanabe, Akio Kishida, Masaya Yamamoto Tsuyoshi Kimura, Akio Kishida, Tadao Tanabe, Masaya Yamamoto Tadao Tanabe, Akio Kishida, Tsuyoshi Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kimura, Mako Kobayashi, Mako Kobayashi, Masaya Yamamoto Masaya Yamamoto

Summary

Researchers developed a method to create PET microplastic fragments that mimic environmentally weathered particles by combining UV irradiation and ultrasound treatment. These treated fragments triggered significantly higher inflammatory responses in human macrophage cells compared to untreated particles. The study suggests that the physical and chemical changes microplastics undergo in the environment may increase their potential to cause inflammation in human cells.

Polymers

PET

Body Systems

Immune

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a global environmental problem. To understand the biological effects of MPs on humans, it is essential to evaluate the response of human cells to model plastic particles that mimic environmental MPs in a sensitive and non-invasive manner. In this study, we investigated the preparation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fragments with properties similar to those of environmental MPs by combining photo-oxidative degradation via ultraviolet (UV) irradiation with mechanical pulverization and hydrolysis via ultrasound (US) exposure. Combination of UV and US treatments decreased the particle size of PET fragments to 10.2 µm and increased their crystallinity and Young's modulus to 35.7 % and 0.73 GPa, respectively, while untreated PET fragments showed the particle size of 18.9 µm, the crystallinity of 33.7 %, and Young's modulus of 0.48 GPa. In addition, an increase in negative surface potential and O/C ratio were observed for UV/US-treated PET fragments, suggesting surface oxidation via UV/US treatment. Cytokine secretion from human macrophages was evaluated by a highly sensitive inflammation evaluation system using the HiBiT-based chemiluminescence detection method developed by genome editing technology. UV/US-treated PET fragments induced a 1.4 times higher level of inflammatory cytokine secretion on inflammatory macrophages than untreated ones, suggesting that the biological responses of PET fragments could be influenced by changes in material properties via oxidation. In conclusion, UV/US treatment enables efficient preparation of model plastic particles and is expected to provide new insights into the evaluation of biological effects using human cells. (240 words).

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