The pathophysiology of neurogenic inflammation culminates in the overt symptoms of tissue inflammation through a series of events which are initiated by the activation of vanilloid receptors (VR1). This study was designed to test the hypothesis that a sufficiently negative, electrostatic charge carried on a particulate matter (PM) particle, could acquire a cloud of protons sufficient to activate proton-sensitive VR1 receptors and acid-sensitive ionic channels (ASICs) pathways. For this, nanometer-sized, synthetic polystyrene micells (SPM) or those charged with chemical groups (e.g. diamino, carboxyl) were used. These chemical groups imparted either a net positive (i.e. diamino) or negative (i.e. carboxyl) charge on the SPM when suspended in a neutral ionic medium. The zeta potential, a measure of the SPM's electronegativity, was taken in both cell culture nutrient medium and in ultraviolet light-distilled water (UV-DW). In both vehicles, the rank order of electronegativity (most to least negative) was carboxyl > polystyrene > diamino-SPM. Individual types of SPM were exposed to human, immortalized bronchial-tracheal epithelial cells (i.e. BEAS-2B) and endpoints of biological activation (i.e. membrane depolarization, increases in intracellular calcium (i.e. [Ca(2+)](i)) levels, IL-6 release) were measured. Cells loaded with a fluorescent probe for membrane depolarization (3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide, DiOC-6-3) showed a positive reaction when exposed to carboxyl-SPM but not to diamino-SPM. BEAS-2B cells exposed to carboxyl-SPM responded with significant increases in [Ca(2+)](i), and IL-6 release relative to uncharged SPM or diamino-SPM. This IL-6 release could be reduced by pretreatment with antagonists to the VR1 receptor (i.e. capsazepine) or to acid-sensitive ionc channels (i.e. amiloride). Although both diamino and carboxyl-SPM groups stimulated increases in IL-6 transcript, only the more electronegatively charged carboxyl-SPM stimulated mRNA-VR1 receptor. These data suggest that measurable inflammatory changes can be stimulated in human epithelial target cells by the electrostatic charge carried on an inert particle. Further, these changes appear to be mediated through acid-sensitive VR1 receptors and ASICs.