Study of the protective role of Zn in cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells subjected to pro-inflammatory conditions using transcriptomics and mass spectrometry

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The present work aimed at investigating Zn alterations as a response to an inflammatory process in an in vitro human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell model mimicking aging process. Cells were subjected to acute inflammatory stress with and without Zn supplementation and the effects of such exposure were evaluated by studying alterations at the transcriptome level and in the Zn concentration and its isotopic composition using single-collector and multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry, respectively. The in vitro RPE model strongly responded to pro-inflammatory events (caused using 100 U/mL Interleukin-1α) at the RNA level by inducing immune and cytokine responses, while Zn supplementation (100 µM Zn) partially attenuated the aforementioned inflammatory effects. Interestingly, the Zn isotope ratios were correlated with the transcriptome, as inflammation was demonstrated to lead to a lighter Zn isotopic composition. This change in the isotopic composition of Zn signaling inflammation, which could also be avoided by short-term zinc supplementation, is probably indicating the modulation of the cellular immune function via cytokine signaling.