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Human Skin Cells Are More Sensitive than Human Lung Cells to the Cytotoxic and Cell Cycle Arresting Impacts of Particulate and Soluble Hexavalent Chromium

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Abstract

Hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) is a known human lung carcinogen, with solubility playing an important role in its carcinogenic potency. Dermal exposure to Cr(VI) is common and has been associated with skin damage; however, no link between chromate exposure and skin cancer has been found. In this study, we compared the cytotoxic and clastogenic effects of Cr(VI) and its impacts on cell cycle progression in human lung and skin fibroblasts. We found human skin cells arrested earlier in their cell cycle and exhibit more cytotoxicity than human lung cells, despite taking up similar amounts of Cr. These outcomes are consistent with a hypothesis that different cellular and molecular responses underlie the differences in carcinogenic outcome in these two tissues.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Shouping Huang and Chris Gianios for administrative and technical support. We would like to thank Geron Corporation for the use of the hTERT materials. This work was supported by NIEHS grant ES016893 (J.P.W.) and the Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health at the University of Southern Maine.

Conflict of interest

Author John Pierce Wise Sr. received funding from NIEHS (described above) and the Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health which helped support this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 96 Falmouth St., PO Box 9300, Portland, ME, 04104, USA

    Hong Xie, Amie L. Holmes, Sandra S. Wise, Jamie L. Young, James T. F. Wise & John Pierce Wise Sr.

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  1. Hong Xie
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  2. Amie L. Holmes
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  3. Sandra S. Wise
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  4. Jamie L. Young
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  5. James T. F. Wise
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  6. John Pierce Wise Sr.
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Correspondence to John Pierce Wise Sr..

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John Pierce Wise, Sr. holds a PhD degree, University of Southern Maine.

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Xie, H., Holmes, A.L., Wise, S.S. et al. Human Skin Cells Are More Sensitive than Human Lung Cells to the Cytotoxic and Cell Cycle Arresting Impacts of Particulate and Soluble Hexavalent Chromium. Biol Trace Elem Res 166, 49–56 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-015-0315-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-015-0315-6

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