Exposure to traffic-related PM2.5 pollutants significantly affect the diversity and quantity of lung microbiota in a rat model

Abstract

To investigate the microbial alteration of the lung in rats after the traffic-related PM2.5 exposure, thirty female rats had exposed to traffic-related PM2.5 and normal air for 17 days, the microbial changes were identified by Illumina high-throughput sequencing. The pathological structure and the microbial diversity of lungs in exposure groups were significantly changed. The most dominant phylum in lung microbiota changed from Firmicutes to Proteobacteria. Also, Sphingomonas was identified as the key differential bacterium between the exposure and control groups. The results suggest that traffic-related PM2.5 can affect the distribution of lung microbiota and may cause damage of the lung tissues and function.