TY - JOUR

T1 - Bimodal responses of cells to trace elements

T2 - insights into their mechanism of action using a biospectroscopy approach

AU - Llabjani, Valon

AU - Hoti - Llabjani, Valmira

AU - Mohammad Pouran, Hamid

AU - Martin, Francis Luke

AU - Zhang, Hao

PY - 2014/10

Y1 - 2014/10

N2 - Understanding how organisms respond to trace elements is important because some are essential for normal bodily homeostasis, but can additionally be toxic at high concentrations. The inflection point for many of these elements is unknown and requires sensitive techniques capable of detecting subtle cellular changes as well as cytotoxic alterations. In this study, we treated human cells with arsenic (As), copper or selenium (Se) in a dose–response manner and used attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) microspectroscopy combined with computational analysis to examine cellular alterations. Cell cultures were treated with Asv, Cu2+ or Seiv at concentrations ranging from 0.001 mg L−1 to 1000 mg L−1 and their effects were spectrochemically determined. Results show that Asv and Cu2+ induce bimodal dose–response effects on cells; this is in line with hormesis-driven responses. Lipids and proteins seem to be the main cell targets for all the elements tested; however, each compound produced a unique fingerprint of effect. Spectral biomarkers indicate that all test agents generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which could either stimulate repair mechanisms or induce damage in cells.

AB - Understanding how organisms respond to trace elements is important because some are essential for normal bodily homeostasis, but can additionally be toxic at high concentrations. The inflection point for many of these elements is unknown and requires sensitive techniques capable of detecting subtle cellular changes as well as cytotoxic alterations. In this study, we treated human cells with arsenic (As), copper or selenium (Se) in a dose–response manner and used attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) microspectroscopy combined with computational analysis to examine cellular alterations. Cell cultures were treated with Asv, Cu2+ or Seiv at concentrations ranging from 0.001 mg L−1 to 1000 mg L−1 and their effects were spectrochemically determined. Results show that Asv and Cu2+ induce bimodal dose–response effects on cells; this is in line with hormesis-driven responses. Lipids and proteins seem to be the main cell targets for all the elements tested; however, each compound produced a unique fingerprint of effect. Spectral biomarkers indicate that all test agents generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which could either stimulate repair mechanisms or induce damage in cells.

KW - ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

KW - Arsenic

KW - Copper

KW - Selenium

KW - Hormesis

KW - Dose-response

U2 - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.03.117

DO - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.03.117

M3 - Journal article

VL - 112

SP - 377

EP - 384

JO - Chemosphere

JF - Chemosphere

SN - 0045-6535

ER -