2. Academic Validation
  3. Environmental low-dose nanosized carbon black exposure aggravates lung fibrosis-induced by radiation in vivo and in vitro

Environmental low-dose nanosized carbon black exposure aggravates lung fibrosis-induced by radiation in vivo and in vitro

  • Sci Total Environ. 2025 Apr 1:972:179119. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179119.
Can Qu 1,  Chenjun Bai 1,  Jinhua Luo 2,  Dafei Xie 3,  Huiji Pan 1,  Lihui Xuan 1,  Jingjing Yang 4,  Yongyi Wang 4,  Hua Guan 5,  Pingkun Zhou 6,  Ruixue Huang 7
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410078, China; Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, AMMS, Beijing, China.
  • 2 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410078, China; Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, AMMS, Beijing, China. Electronic address: luojinhua@csu.edu.cn.
  • 3 Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, AMMS, Beijing, China.
  • 4 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410078, China.
  • 5 Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, AMMS, Beijing, China. Electronic address: guanhua@bmi.ac.cn.
  • 6 Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, AMMS, Beijing, China. Electronic address: zhoupk@bmi.ac.cn.
  • 7 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410078, China. Electronic address: huangruixue@csu.edu.cn.
PMID: 40090244 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179119
Abstract

The question of whether the emerging nano-material, nanosized carbon black (CB) could influence the lung damage-induced by radiation exposure in Cancer patients or in acute nuclear accident population remains incompletely uncovered. Therefore, our study investigated potential health risk from environmental low-dose CB exposure level (0.1 mg/kg/d, once per three days, for 12 weeks) via nasal instillation using a lung fibrosis mouse model induced by radiation. Compared to either CB or radiation single exposure, low-dose CB plus radiation exposure showed an aggravated risk of lung damage in mice, which was embodied in more increased collagen, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) concentrations, and inflammation cytokines levels including IL-1β and TNF-α, as well as promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progress through increasing relative biomarkers such as N-Cadherin and α-SMA. Mechanistically, CB triggered the cGAS-STING signaling pathway to aggravation of radiation-induced lung injury. Furthermore, knocking down the GAS or STING expression would suppress the EMT process and inflammation reaction, resulting in significantly attenuating the combination effects of low-dose CB plus radiation on lung damage. Overall, our study indicates that environmental CB exposure may increase the lung damage in certain special population cannot be ignored. It sheds light on possible molecular mechanisms from cGAS-STING inflammation perspective and providing valuable basic understanding for future study on radiation-induced lung damage. Synopsis State of exposure of environmentally relevant nanosized carbon black may exacerbate the lung injury among Cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Keywords

Carbon black nanoparticles; Pulmonary fibrosis; Radiation.

Figures
Products