Particulate Matter Elevates Ocular Inflammation and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Human Retinal Pigmented Epithelium Cells

Sunyoung Jeong, Eui-Cheol Shin, Jong-Hwa Lee () and Jung-Heun Ha ()
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Sunyoung Jeong: Bioanalytical and Pharmacokinetic Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
Eui-Cheol Shin: Department of GreenBio Science/Food Science and Technology, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
Jong-Hwa Lee: Bioanalytical and Pharmacokinetic Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
Jung-Heun Ha: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 6, 1-19

Abstract: Because of their exposure to air, eyes can come into contact with air pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), which may cause severe ocular pathologies. Prolonged ocular PM exposure may increase inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress in the retina. Herein, we investigated whether PM exposure induces ocular inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related cellular responses in human retinal epithelium-19 (ARPE-19) cells. To understand how PM promotes ocular inflammation, we monitored the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/nuclear factor kappa beta (NFκB) axis and the expression of key inflammatory mRNAs. We also measured the upregulation of signature components for the ER-related unfolded protein response (UPR) pathways, as well as intracellular calcium ([Ca 2+ ] i ) levels, as readouts for ER stress induction following PM exposure. Ocular PM exposure significantly elevated the expression of multiple cytokine mRNAs and increased phosphorylation levels of NFκB-MAPK axis in a PM dose-dependent manner. Moreover, incubation with PM significantly increased [Ca 2+ ] i levels and the expression of UPR-related proteins, which indicated ER stress resulting from cell hypoxia, and upregulation of hypoxic adaptation mechanisms such as the ER-associated UPR pathways. Our study demonstrated that ocular PM exposure increased inflammation in ARPE-19 cells, by activating the MAPK/NFκB axis and cytokine mRNA expression, while also inducing ER stress and stress adaptation responses. These findings may provide helpful insight into clinical and non-clinical research examining the role of PM exposure in ocular pathophysiology and delineating its underlying molecular mechanisms.

Keywords: particulate matter; ocular exposure; inflammation; endoplasmic reticulum stress; unfolded protein response (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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