Benzo[ghi]perylene induces cellular dormancy signaling and endoplasmic reticulum stress in NL-20 human bronchial epithelial cells

Benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP) is produced by the incomplete combustion of gasoline and it is a marker of high vehicular flow in big cities. Nowadays, it is known that BghiP functions as ligand for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which can cause several molecular responses. For this reason, the aim of the present study was to assess the in vitro effects of the exposure to BghiP, specifically, the induction of cellular dormancy and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) in NL-20 human cells. Our results proved that a 24 h exposure of BghiP, increased the expression of NR2F1 (p