Latest Publications

@article{vondracek_assessment_2017,

title = {Assessment of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated activities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a human cell-based reporter gene assay.},

author = {Jan Vondráček and Kateřina Pěnčíková and Jiří Neča and Miroslav Ciganek and Aneta Grycová and Zdeněk Dvořák and Miroslav Machala},

doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2016.09.064},

issn = {1873-6424 0269-7491},

year  = {2017},

date = {2017-01-01},

journal = {Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)},

volume = {220},

number = {Pt A},

pages = {307–316},

abstract = {Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated activity is one of key events in toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Although various classes of AhR ligands may differentially activate human and rodent AhR, there is presently a lack of data on the human AhR-inducing relative potencies (REPs) of PAHs. Here, we focused on estimation of the AhR-mediated activities of a large set of environmental PAHs in human gene reporter AZ-AhR cell line, with an aim to develop the human AhR-based REP values with potential implications for risk assessment of PAHs. The previously identified weakly active PAHs mostly failed to activate the AhR in human cells. The order for REPs of individual PAHs in human cells largely corresponded with the available data from rodent-based experimental systems; nevertheless, we identified differences up to one order of magnitude in REP values of PAHs between human and rodent cells. Higher REP values were found in human cells for some important environmental contaminants or suspected carcinogens, such as indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene or benzo[b]fluoranthene, while lower REP values were determined for methyl-substituted PAHs. Our results also indicate that a different rate of metabolism for individual PAHs in human vs. rodent cells may affect estimation of REP values in human cell-based assay, and potentially alter toxicity of some compounds, such as benzofluoranthenes, in humans. We applied the AZ-AhR assay to evaluation of the AhR-mediated activity of complex mixtures of organic compounds associated with diesel exhaust particles, and we identified the polar compounds present in these mixtures as being particularly highly active in human cells, as compared with rodent cells. The present data suggest that differences may exist between the AhR-mediated potencies of PAHs in human and rodent cells, and that the AhR-mediated effects of polar PAH derivatives and metabolites in human cell models deserve further attention.},

note = {Place: England},

keywords = {AhR, AhR-mediated activity, Aryl Hydrocarbon/metabolism/*physiology, Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/metabolism/*physiology, Biological Assay/methods, Carcinogens/toxicity, Cell Line, Environmental Pollutants/*toxicity, Genes, Humans, PAH mixtures, PAHs, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/*toxicity, Receptors, Relative effective potency, Reporter, Vehicle Emissions/toxicity},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{palkova_aryl_2015,

title = {The aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated and genotoxic effects of fractionated extract of standard reference diesel exhaust particle material in pulmonary, liver and prostate cells.},

author = {Lenka Pálková and Jan Vondráček and Lenka Trilecová and Miroslav Ciganek and Kateřina Pěnčíková and Jiří Neča and Alena Milcová and Jan Topinka and Miroslav Machala},

doi = {10.1016/j.tiv.2014.12.002},

issn = {1879-3177 0887-2333},

year  = {2015},

date = {2015-04-01},

journal = {Toxicology in vitro : an international journal published in association with BIBRA},

volume = {29},

number = {3},

pages = {438–448},

abstract = {Diesel exhaust particles (DEP) and the associated complex mixtures of organic pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), or their derivatives, have been suggested to exert deleterious effects on human health. We used a set of defined cellular models representing liver, lung and prostate tissues, in order to compare non-genotoxic and genotoxic effects of crude and fractionated extract of a standard reference DEP material - SRM 1650b. We focused on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated activity, modulation of cell proliferation, formation of DNA adducts, oxidative DNA damage, and induction of DNA damage responses, including evaluation of apoptosis, and phosphorylation of p53 tumor suppressor and checkpoint kinases (Chk). Both PAHs and the polar aromatic compounds contributed to the AhR-mediated activity of DEP-associated organic pollutants. The principal identified AhR agonists included benzo[k]fluoranthene, indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene, chrysene and several non-priority PAHs, including benzochrysenes and methylated PAHs. In contrast to PAHs, polar compounds contributed more significantly to overall formation of DNA adducts associated with phosphorylation of p53, Chk1 or Chk2, and partly with apoptosis. Therefore, more attention should be paid to identification of DEP-associated polar organic compounds, contributing to the AhR activation and cytotoxic/genotoxic effects of complex airborne mixtures of organic contaminants produced by diesel engines.},

note = {Place: England},

keywords = {Air Pollutants/*toxicity, Air pollution, Animals, Apoptosis, Apoptosis/drug effects, Aryl Hydrocarbon/*drug effects, Cell Cycle/drug effects, Cell Death/drug effects, Cell Proliferation, DNA adducts, DNA Damage, DNA damage response, Liver/*pathology, Lung/*pathology, Male, Mutagens/*toxicity, PAHs, Particulate Matter/*toxicity, Prostate/*pathology, Rats, Receptors, SRM 1650b, Vehicle Emissions/*toxicity},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{kabatkova_interactive_2015,

title = {Interactive effects of inflammatory cytokine and abundant low-molecular-weight PAHs on inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication, disruption of cell proliferation control, and the AhR-dependent transcription.},

author = {Markéta Kabátková and Jana Svobodová and Kateřina Pěnčíková and Dilshad Shaik Mohatad and Lenka Šmerdová and Alois Kozubík and Miroslav Machala and Jan Vondráček},

doi = {10.1016/j.toxlet.2014.09.023},

issn = {1879-3169 0378-4274},

year  = {2015},

date = {2015-01-01},

journal = {Toxicology letters},

volume = {232},

number = {1},

pages = {113–121},

abstract = {Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with lower molecular weight exhibit lesser genotoxicity and carcinogenicity than highly carcinogenic PAHs with a higher number of benzene rings. Nevertheless, they elicit specific effects linked with tumor promotion, such as acute inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC). Although inflammatory reaction may alter bioactivation and toxicity of carcinogenic PAHs, little is known about the impact of pro-inflammatory cytokines on toxic effects of the low-molecular-weight PAHs. Here, we investigated the impact of a pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), on the effects associated with tumor promotion and with induction of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-dependent gene expression in rat liver epithelial cells. We found that a prolonged incubation with TNF-α induced a down-regulation of GJIC, associated with reduced expression of connexin 43 (Cx43), a major connexin isoform found in liver epithelial cells. The Cx43 down-regulation was partly mediated by the activity of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) p38 kinase. Independently of GJIC modulation, or p38 activation, TNF-α potentiated the AhR-dependent proliferative effect of a model low-molecular-weight PAH, fluoranthene, on contact-inhibited cells. In contrast, this pro-inflammatory cytokine repressed the fluoranthene-induced expression of a majority of model AhR gene targets, such as Cyp1a1, Ahrr or Tiparp. The results of the present study indicate that inflammatory reaction may differentially modulate various toxic effects of low-molecular-weight PAHs; the exposure to pro-inflammatory cytokines may both strengthen (inhibition of GJIC, disruption of contact inhibition) and repress (expression of a majority of AhR-dependent genes) their impact on toxic endpoints associated with carcinogenesis.},

note = {Place: Netherlands},

keywords = {Animals, Aryl hydrocarbon receptor, Aryl Hydrocarbon/*agonists/genetics/metabolism, Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/*agonists/genetics/metabolism, Cell Communication/*drug effects, Cell Line, Cell Proliferation, Cell Proliferation/*drug effects, Cell Transformation, Connexin 43/genetics/metabolism, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Enzyme Activation, Epithelial Cells/*drug effects/metabolism/pathology, Fluorenes/*toxicity, Gap junctions, Gap Junctions/*drug effects/metabolism/pathology, Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects, Genetic/*drug effects, Inflammation, Inflammation/chemically induced/genetics/metabolism/pathology, Liver Neoplasms/chemically induced/metabolism/pathology, Liver/*drug effects/metabolism/pathology, Molecular Weight, Neoplastic/chemically induced/metabolism/pathology, p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism, PAHs, Rats, Receptors, Signal Transduction/drug effects, Time Factors, Transcription, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*toxicity},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{libalova_analysis_2014,

title = {Analysis of gene expression changes in A549 cells induced by organic compounds from respirable air particles.},

author = {Helena Líbalová and Simona Krčková and Kateřina Uhlířová and Jiří Kléma and Miroslav Ciganek and Pavel Jr Rössner and Radim J. Šrám and Jan Vondráček and Miroslav Machala and Jan Topinka},

doi = {10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2014.10.002},

issn = {1873-135X 0027-5107},

year  = {2014},

date = {2014-12-01},

journal = {Mutation research},

volume = {770},

pages = {94–105},

abstract = {A number of toxic effects of respirable ambient air particles (genotoxic effects, inflammation, oxidative damage) have been attributed to organic compounds bound onto the particle surface. In this study, we analyzed global gene expression changes caused by the extractable organic matters (EOMs) from respirable airborne particles <2.5μm (PM2.5), collected at 3 localities from heavily polluted areas of the Czech Republic and a control locality with low pollution levels, in human lung epithelial A549 cells. Although the sampled localities differed in both extent and sources of air pollution, EOMs did not induce substantially different gene expression profiles. The number of transcripts deregulated in A549 cells treated with the lowest EOM concentration (10μg/ml) ranged from 65 to 85 in 4 sampling localities compared to the number of transcripts deregulated after 30μg/ml and 60μg/ml of EOMs, which ranged from 90 to 109, and from 149 to 452, respectively. We found numerous commonly deregulated genes and pathways related to activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and metabolism of xenobiotics and endogenous compounds. We further identified deregulation of expression of the genes involved in pro-inflammatory processes, oxidative stress response and in cancer and developmental pathways, such as TGF-β and Wnt signaling pathways. No cell cycle arrest, DNA repair or pro-apoptotic responses were identified at the transcriptional level after the treatment of A549 cells with EOMs. In conclusion, numerous processes and pathways deregulated in response to EOMs suggest a significant role of activated AhR. Interestingly, we did not observe substantial gene expression changes related to DNA damage response, possibly due to the antagonistic effect of non-genotoxic EOM components. Moreover, a comparison of EOM effects with other available data on modulation of global gene expression suggests possible overlap among the effects of PM2.5, EOMs and various types of AhR agonists.},

note = {Place: Netherlands},

keywords = {A549 Cells, Adenocarcinoma of Lung, Adenocarcinoma/genetics/pathology, Ah receptor, Cultured, gene expression profile, Gene Expression Profiling, Gene Expression Regulation, Gene Expression/*drug effects, Humans, Lung Neoplasms/genetics/pathology, Microarray Analysis, Neoplastic/drug effects, Organic Chemicals/*pharmacology, PAHs, Particulate Matter/*pharmacology, PM2.5, Respiratory Mucosa/drug effects/metabolism, Signal Transduction/drug effects/genetics, Tumor Cells},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}