{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T20:11:58Z","timestamp":1790021518883,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,18]],"date-time":"2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1739836800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100017170","name":"Thailand Science Research and Innovation Fundamental Fund","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["TUFF54\/2566"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["TUFF54\/2566"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100017170","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100017170","name":"Thailand Science Research and Innovation Fundamental Fund","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["350\/2564"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["350\/2564"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100017170","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University","award":["TUFF54\/2566"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["TUFF54\/2566"]}]},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University","award":["350\/2564"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["350\/2564"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004704","name":"National Research Council of Thailand","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["TUFF54\/2566"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["TUFF54\/2566"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004704","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004704","name":"National Research Council of Thailand","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["350\/2564"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["350\/2564"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004704","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) and pyrene, the most prominent subtypes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), contaminate environments as organic pollutants. They adversely affect body systems, including degeneration of the central nervous system. This study investigated the in vitro toxic effects of B(a)P and pyrene on proliferation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induction, and autophagy in human astrocytes using U-87 MG human astrocytoma cells as a model. Both B(a)P and pyrene were toxic to U-87 MG cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Astrocytic proliferation was interfered with, enhancing S-phase cell cycle arrest. B(a)P promoted the presence of autophagic vesicles and the expression of autophagic markers LC3, beclin-1, and p62, suggesting activated autophagy. B(a)P enhanced the expression of ER stress markers BiP, PERK, and IRE1. ER stress appeared to be correlated with autophagy induction, as demonstrated by experiments using chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor. Pyrene enhanced the expression of autophagic markers and ER stress primarily via PERK activation, although autophagic vesicles were not observed. The study demonstrates that B(a)P enhances ER stress-mediated autophagy more evidently than pyrene and affected toxicity to astrocytes. These results provide a basis for understanding the toxic effects of the main PAH substances affecting astrocytes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26041748","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,18]],"date-time":"2025-02-18T12:16:37Z","timestamp":1739880997000},"page":"1748","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Impact of Benzo(a)pyrene and Pyrene Exposure on Activating Autophagy and Correlation with Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Human Astrocytes"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3298-1232","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tanapan","family":"Siangcham","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Burapha University, Chonburi 20131, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2639-9545","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pornpun","family":"Vivithanaporn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Samut Prakan 10540, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-1798-8338","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kanyaluck","family":"Jantakee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thammasat University Research Unit in Nutraceuticals and Food Safety, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jittiporn","family":"Ruangtong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thammasat University Research Unit in Nutraceuticals and Food Safety, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7034-8756","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nattaya","family":"Thongsepee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thammasat University Research Unit in Nutraceuticals and Food Safety, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand"},{"name":"Department of Preclinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4168-5950","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pongsakorn","family":"Martviset","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thammasat University Research Unit in Nutraceuticals and Food Safety, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand"},{"name":"Department of Preclinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4974-9584","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pathanin","family":"Chantree","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thammasat University Research Unit in Nutraceuticals and Food Safety, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand"},{"name":"Department of Preclinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Phornphan","family":"Sornchuer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thammasat University Research Unit in Nutraceuticals and Food Safety, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand"},{"name":"Department of Preclinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2398-1262","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kant","family":"Sangpairoj","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thammasat University Research Unit in Nutraceuticals and Food Safety, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand"},{"name":"Department of Preclinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133971","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2019.133971","article-title":"Comprehensive review of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water sources, their effects and treatments","volume":"696","author":"Mojiri","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sci. 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