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Heavy Metal Index

Continuous exposure to low concentrations of antimony(III) induces inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress in Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells

This in vitro study exposed differentiating Caco-2 cells to antimony(III) chloride at 0.5, 5, 50, and 100 nM for 18 days and reported dose-dependent inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum stress, with effects described as starting at 5 nM.

This in vitro study exposed differentiating Caco-2 cells to antimony(III) chloride at 0.5, 5, 50, and 100 nM for 18 days and reported dose-dependent inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum stress, with effects described as starting at 5 nM. Bar-graph fold changes are not printed as numbers in the text and were not extracted.

Key numbers

AnalyteMatrixValueUnitStatisticNWhere
Sbfood0.04mg/kg of foodregulatory restrictionp.2
Sbhuman oral intake0.006mg Sb/kg body weight/dayTDIp.2

Methods (brief)

SbCl3 was freshly dissolved in DMSO and added only to the apical side at each medium change. Concentrations were chosen as non-cytotoxic in a preliminary series (Fig. S1, values not printed). TUDCA at 500 uM was used as an ER-stress inhibitor in a 50 nM Sb(III) arm. Statistics used p < 0.05.

Detection and reporting: not reported for antimony; cells treated with vehicle DMSO 0.1% v/v as control

Basis: nominal applied concentration in culture medium, apical side

Evidence fitness

This source can support: in vitro effect threshold for Sb(III) on differentiating Caco-2 cells; citation of the EFSA antimony trioxide food-contact restriction and TDI.

It cannot support: occurrence of antimony in food, water, or PET; human blood antimony levels; a new regulatory limit derived by the authors.

Limitations

No measured antimony concentration in cells, medium, food, or PET. Western blot and PCR results are reported as fold change versus control in figures without numeric labels in the text. The 0.1 ug/g bone, hair, and blood example is cited from Filella et al. and Wu and Chen, not measured here, and was withheld.

Update history

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