Journal article
Effects of Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash on innate immune system responses and bacterial growth in vitro
Environmental health perspectives, Vol.121(6), pp.691-698
06/2013
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1206004
PMCID: PMC3672917
PMID: 23478268
Abstract
On 20 March 2010, the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted for the first time in 190 years. Despite many epidemiological reports showing effects of volcanic ash on the respiratory system, there are limited data evaluating cellular mechanisms involved in the response to ash. Epidemiological studies have observed an increase in respiratory infections in subjects and populations exposed to volcanic eruptions. We physicochemically characterized volcanic ash, finding various sizes of particles, as well as the presence of several transition metals, including iron. We examined the effect of Eyjafjallajökull ash on primary rat alveolar epithelial cells and human airway epithelial cells (20-100 µg/cm(2)), primary rat and human alveolar macrophages (5-20 µg/cm(2)), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1) growth (3 µg/104 bacteria). Volcanic ash had minimal effect on alveolar and airway epithelial cell integrity. In alveolar macrophages, volcanic ash disrupted pathogen-killing and inflammatory responses. In in vitro bacterial growth models, volcanic ash increased bacterial replication and decreased bacterial killing by antimicrobial peptides. These results provide potential biological plausibility for epidemiological data that show an association between air pollution exposure and the development of respiratory infections. These data suggest that volcanic ash exposure, while not seriously compromising lung cell function, may be able to impair innate immunity responses in exposed individuals.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Effects of Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash on innate immune system responses and bacterial growth in vitro
- Creators
- Martha M Monick - Department of Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USAJonas BaltrusaitisLinda S PowersJennifer A BorcherdingJuan C CaraballoImali MudunkotuwaDavid W PeateKatherine WaltersJay M ThompsonVicki H GrassianGunnar GudmundssonAlejandro P Comellas
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Environmental health perspectives, Vol.121(6), pp.691-698
- Publisher
- United States
- DOI
- 10.1289/ehp.1206004
- PMID
- 23478268
- PMCID
- PMC3672917
- ISSN
- 0091-6765
- eISSN
- 1552-9924
- Grant note
- P30 ES005605 / NIEHS NIH HHS UL1RR024979 / NCRR NIH HHS R21 HL109589 / NHLBI NIH HHS R21HL109589 / NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL079901 / NHLBI NIH HHS NIEHS/NIH P30 ES005605 / NIEHS NIH HHS R01 HL096625 / NHLBI NIH HHS UL1 RR024979 / NCRR NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/2013
- Academic Unit
- Occupational and Environmental Health; Earth and Environmental Sciences; Honors Program; Chemistry; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9983984525002771
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