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Combined Toxicity of the Most Common Indoor Aspergilli

Daniela Jakšić1, Dubravko Jelić2, Nevenka Kopjar3

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.

Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 29, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Common indoor molds like Aspergillus Flavi and Nigri exhibit combined toxic effects on human cells. Their interactions influence cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, impacting inflammatory responses and cellular health during chronic exposure.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Toxicology
  • Cell biology

Background:

  • Indoor air quality is frequently impacted by airborne fungi, particularly Aspergillus species.
  • Chronic exposure to fungal mycotoxins can pose significant health risks, including cytotoxic and genotoxic effects.
  • Understanding interspecies interactions among Aspergillus species is crucial for assessing combined health impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the combined cytotoxic, genotoxic, and pro-inflammatory properties of extracted common indoor Aspergillus species.
  • To analyze the effects of Aspergillus Flavi, Nigri, and Versicolores combinations on human adenocarcinoma (A549) and monocytic leukemia (THP-1) cells.
  • To elucidate the additive, synergistic, or antagonistic interactions between different Aspergillus metabolite mixtures.

Main Methods:

  • Extraction and analysis of metabolites from common indoor Aspergillus species (Flavi, Nigri, Versicolores).
  • Assessment of cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on A549 and THP-1 cell lines.
  • Measurement of pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-5, IL-17) following co-exposure.

Main Results:

  • Aspergillus Nigri extracts enhanced the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of Aspergillus Flavi extracts in A549 cells, indicating potential additive/synergistic interactions.
  • Aspergillus Nigri antagonized the cytotoxic effects of Aspergillus Versicolores extracts in THP-1 cells and genotoxicity in A549 cells.
  • All tested Aspergillus combinations significantly altered cytokine profiles, decreasing IL-5 and IL-17 while increasing IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6.

Conclusions:

  • Combined exposure to different Aspergillus species can lead to complex toxicological outcomes, varying by species combination and cell type.
  • Interspecies interactions among Aspergillus significantly modulate cytotoxic, genotoxic, and pro-inflammatory responses.
  • Further research into the toxicity of extracted Aspergilli is essential for understanding health risks associated with chronic inhalation of fungal mycotoxins.
Keywords:
cytotoxicitygenotoxicityproinflammatory cytokinessection Flaviseries Nigriseries Versicolores

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