[目的]探讨不同浓度纳米二氧化钛(nanosized titanium dioxide,Nano-TiO2)颗粒对人肺上皮细胞(A549细胞)增殖的影响及其可能机制。[方法]采用不同粒径(5、10和40 nm)和浓度(0、0.125、0.25、0.5、1、2、4、8、16 mg/L)的Nano-TiO2处理A549细胞24 h,用四甲基偶氮唑盐(MTT)法和细胞计数法观察Nano-TiO2对细胞增殖的影响;用流式细胞术检测Nano-TiO2对细胞凋亡的影响;用蛋白质免疫印记法(Western Blot)测定Nano-TiO2对细胞外调节蛋白激酶(extracellular-receptor kinase,ERK)的影响。并采用ERK特异性抑制剂PD98059(20μmol/L)对细胞进行预处理30 min后,MTT法观察ERK抑制剂对低浓度Nano-TiO2(0.5 mg/L)调节细胞增殖的影响。[结果]不同粒径的Nano-TiO2均表现出较低浓度(≤4 mg/L)促进细胞增殖,较高浓度(≥8 mg/L)抑制细胞活力的作用,而更高浓度Nano-TiO2(16 mg/L)可引起细胞凋亡的发生。进一步研究发现,低浓度Nano-TiO2(0.5 mg/L)可引起细胞磷酸化ERK表达增强,ERK抑制剂PD98059可明显抑制低浓度Nano-TiO2(0.5 mg/L)的促细胞增殖作用。[结论]低浓度Nano-TiO2可通过激活ERK促进细胞增殖,较高浓度Nano-TiO2则引发细胞凋亡发挥其抑制细胞活力的作用;不同粒径Nano-TiO2的效应之间没有明显差异。
[ Objective ] To estimate the effects of nanosized titanium dioxide (Nano-TiO2) at different concentrations on A549 human lung epithelial cell line proliferation and the potential mechanisms. [ Methods ] A549 cells were exposed to Nano-TiO2 with different sizes (5, 10, and 4ohm) at different concentrations (0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16rag/L) for 24h. After 24 h exposure, cell proliferation was detected by tetrazolium (MTY) assay and cell number determination. Cell apoptosis and extracellular-receptor kinases (ERK) expression were determined by flow cytometry and Western Blot, respectively. MTI' assay was also used to detect the effect of ERK inhibitor PD98059 (20gmol/L) on cell proliferation induced by 0.5 mg/L Nano-TiO2. [ Results ] The Nano-TiO2 with different sizes (5, 10, and 40 nm) showed biphasic effects on the A549 cell proliferation, namely, stimulating proliferation at lower concentrations ( ≤ 4 mg/mL), while inhibiting cell viability at higher concentrations ( ≥ 8 mg/mL). The Nano-TiO2 at 16 mg/L induced significant increases in cell apoptosis. The results of Western Blot analysis showed that 0.5 mg/L Nano-TiO2 exposure significantly increased the expression of phosphorylated-ERK. The cell proliferation induced by 0.5 mg/L Nano-TiO2 was significantly blocked by ERK inhibitor PD98059. [ Conclusion ] Nano-TiO2 stimulate cell proliferation at low concentrations, while inhibite cell viability at higher concentrations. The low-concentration stimulatory effects of Nano-TiO2 could be mediated by ERK signal transduction pathway. These effects show no significant differences among Nano-TiO2 with different sizes.