Cell Viability and Immune Response to Low Concentrations of Nickel and Cadmium: An In Vitro Model

Ahra Kim, SangJin Park and Joo Hyun Sung
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Ahra Kim: Department of Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
SangJin Park: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Hospital Cheonan, College of Medicine, University of Soonchunhyang, Cheonan 31151, Korea
Joo Hyun Sung: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 24, 1-9

Abstract: Environmental exposure to low concentrations of heavy metals is common in the general population, but the toxicity, immune response mechanisms, and the effects of single and mixed metal exposures have not been clearly identified. In this study, A549 cells and Raw264.7 cells were exposed to low concentrations of the heavy metals nickel (Ni) and cadmium (Cd) for 24, 48, and 72 h, and then cell viability and cytokine levels were analyzed. We found that exposure to low concentrations of Ni (50 nM) or Cd (10 nM) alone did not affect cell viability. However, mixing them together decreased cell viability. In addition, the levels of IL-10, IL-12, and TNF-α decreased with single (only Cd) and mixed (Ni and Cd) exposures. These results show that exposure to low concentrations of heavy metals could affect the normal immune response, even without obvious clinical manifestations. Therefore, chronic exposure to heavy metals might have adverse effects on overall health.

Keywords: cadmium; cell survival; cytokines; environment; immune; metal; nickel (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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