Toxicological effects of Sb(III), Sb(V), and NMG-Sb(V) in human lung, kidney, and liver cells: cytotoxicity and fibrotic factor induction

Antimony ecotoxicity studies are often hindered by the incorrect selection of Sb(III) standards and the application of concentrations that do not reflect real environmental exposure. In this study, we used environmentally relevant concentrations of inorganic Sb in its pentavalent [Sb(V)] and trivalent [Sb(III)] oxidation states, as well as the organic species NMG-Sb(V), which is present in Meglumine Antimoniate, to evaluate the effects of Sb on cell viability in human lung (A549), kidney (HEK293), and liver (HepG2) cell lines. Cell viability was assessed in these cells following treatment with 0.001 to 1 µg/L of Sb(V), 1 to 500 µg/L of Sb(III), and 0 to 1000 mg/L of MA. We also measured ROS production and the expression of the profibrotic markers CTGF, α-SMA, and PAI-1, which are associated with fibrosis activation. No significant changes in cell viability were observed in HepG2 and A549 cells. However, in HEK293 cells, viability decreased by 20-40% at Sb(III) concentrations between 1 µg/L and 1 mg/L. CTGF expression was significantly increased at 17 µg/L of Sb(III), while α-SMA and PAI-1 expression increased at 21 µg/L of Sb(V). These findings suggest that different species of Sb can induce increased expression of mRNA for fibrotic genes in human liver and kidney cell lines at concentrations found in the environment.