ABSTRACT
Objective@#To investigate the effect of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) copy number variation caused by hexavalent chromium exposure on DNA damage response in different cell lines, so as to provide insights into the involvement of hexavalent chromium-induced rDNA copy number variation in DNA damage responses. @*@#Methods Human lung epithelial BEAS-2B cells and human embryonic lung MRC-5 cells were treated with 2 μmol/L potassium dichromate for 24 hours, and then cells were transferred to fresh media for further incubation, while cells treated with the same volume of phosphate buffer solution served as controls. Cells treated with potassium dichromate for 24 hours, and 3 and 7 days post-detoxification, were harvested, and rDNA copy number was quantified in cells using a quantitative fluorescent real-time PCR assay. Cell cycle, apoptosis and DNA damage were detected using a Muse cell analyzer, and the DNA damage was evaluated with the proportion of ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) gene activation, proportion of double-strand DNA breaks and the percentage of the H2A.X variant histone phosphorylatio.@*@# Results The 45S and 5S rDNA copy numbers of were significantly higher in MRC-5 cells than in BEAS-2B cells [(1.54±0.26) vs. (1.02±0.18), P<0.05; (6.97±1.07) vs. (3.00±0.15), P<0.05]. The 45S rDNA copy number was lower in MRC-5 cells 3 days post-detoxification (0.80±0.04) than in controls (P<0.05), and was higher in BEAS-2B cells 3 days post-detoxification (1.43±0.07) than in controls (P<0.05) . G0/G1 phase arrest was found in MRC-5 cells 24 hours post-treatment, and the apoptotic rates were significantly higher in MRC-5 cells 3 and 7 days post-detoxification than in controls [(11.53±1.53)%, (18.33±0.70)% vs. (3.53±0.93)%, P<0.05]. The overall apoptotic rates 24 hours post-treatment and 3 days post-detoxification [(2.80±0.17)%, (3.33±0.57)% vs. (1.53±0.61)%, P<0.05], proportion of ATM gene activation 3 days post-detoxification [(3.37±0.67%) vs. (1.18±0.22)%, P<0.05], proportion of double-strand DNA breaks 3 days post-detoxification [(4.45±0.85)% vs. (0.97±0.21)%, P<0.05] and percentage of the H2A.X variant histone phosphorylation 3 days post-detoxification [(1.68±0.56)% vs. (0.29±0.06)%, P<0.05] in BEAS-2B cells were higher than in controls. @*Conclusions@#Hexavalent chromium-induced rDNA copy number variation affects DNA damage response in different cell lines. A stronger DNA damage response is found in BEAS-2B cells with a low rDNA copy number, and a relative stable response is observed in MRC-5 cells with a high rDNA copy number.