Evaluation of the Toxicity of Welding Fume Particles on Murine Macrophage (RAW 264.7) and Human Placental (HTR- 8/SVneo) Cell Lines

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bowers LN ; Leonard, Stephen S. ; Morris AM ; Mulhall KA ; Olgun, Nicole S. ; Stefaniak, Aleksandr B.
• Description:
  Occupational exposure to welding fumes is associated with a decline in pulmonary function. Because men have traditionally comprised the bulk of the construction workforce, the majority of research performed on welding fume exposure in relation to reproductive toxicology has mainly focused on the adverse effects of exposure on sperm. According to the US Department of Labor Women's Bureau, the number of female welders in the United States has increased over the past decade. With the trend of more women entering the welding workforce, it is imperative that the adverse effects of welding fume exposure on female reproductive organs also be explored. In this study, murine macrophage cells (RAW 264.7) and human placental trophoblast cells from the first trimester (HTR-8/SVneo) were used to better understand the mechanisms of toxicity associated with stainless steel (SS) and mild steel (MS) welding rods. Fumes generated from MS are mainly comprised of iron and manganese, while SS welding fumes also contain hexavalent chromium and nickel. We hypothesized that the presence of these metals would play a role in the pro-inflammatory responses and cytotoxicities observed. Compared to MS, SS caused a significantly greater decrease in cellular viability, measured via MTT assay, along with greater damage to the nuclear DNA (comet assay) and damage to the cellular membrane LDH release, especially at the 24 h time point. Measured via electron paramagnetic resonance, exposure of cells to SS also produced greater hydroxyl radicals as compared to MS, while both SS and MS generated significant amounts of intracellular ROS. Using ELISA, production of the pro-inflammatory mediator Endothelin-1 (ET-1) was also measured. Upregulated in the setting of pulmonary hypertension and necessary for fetal formation, ET-1 levels in HTR-8/SVneo cells were increased more than 10-fold of normal circulating levels when exposed to MS and SS. Our data shows that both MS and SS are toxic to murine macrophage and human placental cells, though SS appeared to have more damaging effects. With such little data available on the effects of welding fume exposure on the female reproductive system, our results shed some light on this very important matter. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Animals Biological Assay Blood Chromium Cytotoxins Environmental Exposure Enzymes Ferrous Compounds Fetus Free Radicals Hazardous Substances Immune System Laboratories Lung Macrophages Manganese Metals Nickel Occupational Health Respiratory System Safety Toxicology Urogenital Diseases Urogenital System Welding Women

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• Keywords:
  Bioassays Cell Damage Cellular Effects Cellular Structures Cytotoxic Effects DNA Damage ELISA Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay Exposure Assessment Exposure Levels Free Radical Generation Free Radicals Fumes Health Effects Hexavalent Chromium Humans Hydroxy Compounds Immune Reaction Iron Laboratory Animals Laboratory Testing Lung Cells Metal Fumes Reactive Oxygen Species Reproductive Effects Reproductive Hazards Reproductive System Reproductive System Disorders ROS Stainless Steel Toxic Effects Toxic Fumes Welders Welding Fumes

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• ISSN:
  1096-6080
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 6 ; Texas ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division ; RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  162
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20051177
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 2018 Mar; 162(1):191
• CAS Registry Number:
  Chromium(6+) (CAS RN 18540-29-9) ; Iron (CAS RN 7439-89-6) ; Manganese (CAS RN 7439-96-5) ; Nickel (CAS RN 7440-02-0) ; Stainless Steel (CAS RN 12597-68-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 57th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, March 11-15, 2018, San Antonio, Texas
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5d41a95e4e2ce8f2e332940c18ebcdd26e892dff6f24d07c6f5d28f7131a3e73bd47d8f3cbd68a88412d763899f3d38cafe8066370c573370d0ae29148d59474
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211268/cdc_211268_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 838.18 KB ]