Effect of Asian Sand Dust on Mucin Production in NCI-H292 Cells and Allergic Murine Model

Objective. To investigate the effect of Asian sand dust (ASD) on mucin production in human respiratory epithelial cells in vitro and in allergic murine nasal epithelial cells. Study Design. Controlled, in vitro. Setting. Academic research laboratory. Materials and Methods. Human NCI-H292 cells were treated with ASD and analyzed by immunostaining, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for MUC5AC mRNA expression, and Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) staining. Forty female BALB/c mice were classified into 4 groups. Two groups were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA), and 1 of these was treated with ASD (ASD+OVA). The 2 nonsensitized groups were treated with ASD or saline. Then the murine nasal mucosal tissues were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, PAS staining, and immunostaining for MUC5AC and transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha proteins. Results. The numbers of MUC5AC-immunopositive NCI-H292 cells and PAS-positive NCI-H292 cells were significantly higher in the ASD-treated cells than in the control cells (P = .039 and P = .029, respectively). MUC5AC mRNA expression in the cells increased with increasing concentrations of ASD. In the murine nasal epithelial tissues, the numbers of eosinophils and PAS-positive cells were significantly higher in the ASD+OVA group than in the OVA group (H&E staining, P = .037; PAS staining, P = .019). At 2 weeks, the numbers of MUC5AC- and TGF-alpha-positive cells in the nasal epithelial tissue were significantly higher in the ASD+OVA group than in the OVA group (P = .031 and P = .033, respectively). Conclusion. ASD can induce mucin production in respiratory epithelial cells.