Does the crystal habit modulate the genotoxic potential of silica particles? A cytogenetic evaluation in human and murine cell lines

• Crystalline and amorphous silica sharing the same surface features were used.
• Genotoxic potential of pure quartz and vitreous silica was tested in vitro.
• Human pulmonary epithelial and murine macrophages cell lines were selected.
• Comet assay, micronucleus test, trypan blue method were selected.
• Quartz induced increased DNA damage in murine macrophages but not in human cells.

Crystalline silica inhaled from occupational sources has been classified by IARC as carcinogenic to humans; in contrast, for amorphous silica, epidemiological and experimental evidence remains insufficient. The genotoxicity of crystalline silica is still debated because of the inconsistency of experimental results (“variability of silica hazard”), often related to the features of the particle surfaces. We have assessed the role of crystal habit in the genotoxicity of silica powders. Pure quartz (crystalline) and vitreous silica (amorphous), sharing the same surface features, were used in an in vitro study with human pulmonary epithelial (A549) and murine macrophage (RAW264.7) cell lines, representative of occupational and environmental exposures. Genotoxicity was evaluated by the comet and micronucleus assays, and cytotoxicity by the trypan blue method. Cells were treated with silica powders for 4 and 24 h. Quartz but not vitreous silica caused cell death and DNA damage in RAW264.7 cells. A549 cells were relatively resistant to both powders. Our results support the view that crystal habit per se plays a pivotal role in modulating the biological responses to silica particles.