FIG. 3.

Modulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by desferrioxamine (DFX) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC). The effect of DFX and NAC on 2,7-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) fluorescence induced by ultrafine underground railway particulate matter (PM) was studied by challenging 16HBE monolayers with 3.1 µg/cm² ultrafine PM in the presence of varying concentrations of DFX or NAC. DCF fluorescence was measured after 3 h incubation. Data were calculated as for Figure 2, followed by calculation of the percentage fluorescence in DFX/NAC-supplemented wells compared with DFX/NAC-free wells, all in duplicate. Mean ( ± SEM) fold increase in DCF fluorescence vs. control in absence of DFX and NAC was 10.2 ± 0.4. ***P < 0.001 vs. DFX/NAC-free culture, n = 3 for DFX experiments, n = 4 for NAC experiments.