Mei-Yu Quan, Xihua Yan, Wanqi Miao, Xue Li, Jiaqi Li, Linglong Yang, Chenhua Yu, Yanxia Zhang, Weiwei Yang, Chengyang Zou, Bin Liu, Xuru Jin, Chengshui Chen, Qiang Guo, Jin-San Zhang
Exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) has been linked to lung injury and carcinogenesis. Airway epithelial cells express the B[a]P receptor AHR, so B[a]P is considered to mainly target airway epithelial cells, whereas its potential impact on alveolar cells remains inadequately explored. Metformin, a first-line drug for diabetes, has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and tissue repair-promoting effects under various injurious conditions. Here, we explored the effect of chronic B[a]P exposure on alveolar cells and the impact of metformin on B[a]P-induced lung injury by examining the various parameters including lung histopathology, inflammation, fibrosis, and related signal pathway activation...
February 15, 2024: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety