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Updated: Mar 25, 2026
Analysis of the Ambient Particulate Matter-induced Chromosomal Aberrations Using an In Vitro System
Published on: December 21, 2016
Nuclear and cytoskeletal structural alterations in human alveolar epithelial cells by solvent-extracted organic
Octavio Ispanixtlahuatl-Meraz1, Alejandro Déciga-Alcaraz2, Marisela Uribe-Ramírez3
1Laboratorio de Especiación Química de Aerosoles Orgánicos Atmosféricos, Instituto de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y Cambio Climático, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México CP 04510, Mexico.
Abstract:
Particulate matter (PM2.5) contains a complex mixture of compounds with diverse physicochemical and toxicological properties. Although, solvent-extractable organic compounds of PM2.5 are known to induce oxidative and metabolic alterations, their impact on cellular structural integrity remains insufficiently characterized. In this study, we evaluated the impact of the PM2.5 extract obtained with dichloromethane (SEOM-PM2.5) on human alveolar epithelial cells (A549). Cells were exposed to non-cytotoxic concentrations of SEOM-PM2.5 and assessed for cytoskeletal organization, nuclear morphology, cell-cycle distribution, DNA damage, caspase-3 activation, and cell death. Exposure to SEOM-PM2.5 induced marked cytoskeletal alterations, including microtubule disorganization, reduced α-tubulin expression, and actin stress-fiber formation. SEOM-PM2.5 also caused nuclear deformation, G2/M cell-cycle arrest, γH2AX-associated DNA damage, and increased apoptotic and necrotic cell populations. Our results demonstrate that SEOM-PM2.5 disrupts cytoskeletal and nuclear integrity in alveolar epithelial cells, providing mechanistic evidence that components of PM2.5 extract can compromise epithelial structural stability and promote genotoxic and apoptotic responses.
