Objective To investigate the role of inflammation caused by macrophages and the possible mechanisms in the malignant transformation of pleural mesothelial cells induced by multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs).
Methods The proliferation, migration and colony formation ability of pleural mesothelial cells and the gene expression levels of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in pleural mesothelial cells were detected after three months of co-culture of mesothelial cells Met5A and macrophages and the separate culture of Met5A cells in the presence (+) or absence (-) of MWCNTs.
Results The proliferation, migration, and clony formation ability of mesothelial cells in the co-culture (+) group were significantly enhanced compared with those in the separate culture (+) group and the separate culture (-) group (P < 0.05). The three in dicators in the co-culture (+) group were also enhanced compared with those of the separate culture (-) group (P < 0.05). The gene expression levels of NF-κB, IL-6, and STAT3 in the co-culture (+) group were significantly increased compared with those in the separate culture (+) group and the separate culture (-) group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion MWCNTs can promote malignant transformation of pleural mesothelial cells, furthermore this effect can be enhanced by the inflammation caused by macrophages.
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