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Inhibitory effects of anti-oxidants on apoptosis of a human polyclonal T-cell line, MT-2, induced by an asbestos, chrysotile-A.

Hyodoh F, Takata-Tomokuni A, Miura Y, Sakaguchi H, Hatayama T, Hatada S, Katsuyama H, Matsuo Y, Otsuki T

Department of Hygiene, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan.

To clarify the effects of silica and silicates on cellular features of lymphocytes, a human T-lymphotropic virus type-1-immortalized polyclonal T-cell line, MT-2, was exposed to various concentrations of chrysotile-A, an asbestos classified as silicate. MT-2 cells underwent apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The mitochondrial apoptotic pathway was activated during chrysotile-A-induced apoptosis of MT-2 cells, because of the phosphorylation of JNK and p38, increase of BAX and release of cytochrome-c from mitochondria to cytoplasma. In addition, anti-oxidants such as hydroxyl-radical excluders and capturers of superoxide and inhibitors of superoxide production effectively reduced the size of the apoptotic fraction in MT-2 cells cultured with chrysotile-A. These results indicate that the activation of reactive oxygen species may play a central role in asbestos-induced T-cell apoptosis, and anti-oxidants may help to prevent complications of pneumoconiosis.

Published 10 May 2005 in Scand J Immunol, 61(5): 442-8.
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