mtDNA amplifies beryllium sulfate-induced inflammatory responses via the cGAS-STING pathway in 16HBE cells

Beryllium sulfate (BeSO₄) can cause inflammation through the mechanism, which has not been elucidated. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a key contributor of inflammation. With mitochondrial damage, released mtDNA can bind to specific receptors (e.g., cGAS) and then activate related pathway to promote inflammatory responses. To investigate the mechanism of mtDNA in BeSO₄-induced inflammatory response in 16HBE cells, we established the BeSO₄-induced 16HBE cell inflammation model and the ethidium bromide (EB)-induced ρ⁰16HBE cell model to detect the mtDNA content, oxidative stress-related markers, mitochondrial membrane potential, the expression of the cGAS-STING pathway, and inflammation-related factors. Our results showed that BeSO₄ caused oxidative stress, decline of mitochondrial membrane potential, and the release of mtDNA into the cytoplasm of 16HBE cells. In addition, BeSO₄ induced inflammation in 16HBE cells by activating the cGAS-STING pathway. Furthermore, mtDNA deletion inhibited the expression of cGAS-STING pathway, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-β. This study revealed a novel mechanism of BeSO₄-induced inflammation in 16HBE cells, which contributes to the understanding of the molecular mechanism of beryllium and its compounds-induced toxicity.