Silver nanoparticles induce lysosomal-autophagic defects and decreased expression of transcription factor EB in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells

Although silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in consumer and medical products, the mechanism by which AgNPs cause pulmonary damage is unclear. AgNPs are incorporated into cells and processed via the autophagy pathway. We examined the effects of AgNP exposure on autophagic flux and expression of transcription factor EB (TFEB) in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. In cells exposed to citrate-coated 60-nm AgNPs, confocal laser microscopic examination showed a decrease in the LysoTracker fluorescence signal and an increase in that of Cyto-ID, indicating lysosomal pH alkalization and autophagosome formation, respectively. The proteins p62 and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3B-II (LC3B-II) are both degraded by autophagy, and their levels increased depending on AgNP dose. Furthermore, AgNP-induced increase in LC3B-II was not enhanced by treatment with the autophagic inhibitor bafilomycin A1. TFEB mRNA levels, and protein levels in cytosolic and nuclear fractions, were suppressed by exposure to AgNPs, suggesting transcriptional inhibition of TFEB expression. Overexpression of TFEB did not suppress AgNP-induced LC3B-II accumulation and cellular damage, indicating that impairment of autophagic flux and cellular damage by AgNPs might not be primarily caused by reduced TFEB expression. The present study suggests that AgNP-induced lysosomal dysfunction plays a principal role in the autophagic flux defect.