Profiling Non-Coding RNA Changes Associated with 16 Different Engineered Nanomaterials in a Mouse Airway Exposure...

Area of Science:

• Environmental toxicology
• Epigenetics
• Nanomaterial safety

Background:

• Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are crucial epigenetic regulators of cellular responses to environmental stress.
• The impact of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) on lncRNA expression and their role in toxicity is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of diverse ENMs with varying surface chemistries and shapes on lncRNA expression in mouse lung tissue.
• To identify potential toxicogenomic markers for assessing ENM hazards.

Main Methods:

• Mice were exposed via oropharyngeal aspiration to 16 different ENMs (copper oxide, carbon nanotubes, titanium dioxide variants) with four surface chemistries (pristine, COOH, NH2, PEG).
• Lung tissues underwent cytological analysis and transcriptomic profiling to identify altered lncRNA and mRNA expression.
• Correlational analyses linked lncRNA changes to mRNA expression patterns.

Main Results:

• Significant alterations in lncRNA transcripts varied by ENM type, surface chemistry, and particle shape.
• Amine (NH2) surface chemistry induced the strongest lncRNA response, while polyethylene glycol (PEG) elicited the weakest.
• Altered lncRNAs were correlated with genes involved in mitotic cell division and DNA damage response.

Conclusions:

• ENM exposure induces epigenetic changes mediated by lncRNAs, influencing critical cellular processes.
• lncRNAs serve as sensitive toxicogenomic biomarkers for evaluating the adverse effects of nanomaterial exposure.