Particulate Matter in Polluted Air May Increase Biomarkers of Inflammation in Mouse Brain

Abstract

The etiology of neurodegenerative disorders is at present unknown. However, many of these disorders are associated with an increase in oxidative and inflammatory events. Although a small percentage of these disorders are familial cases linked to specific genetic defects, most are idiopathic. Thus, environmental factors are thought to play an important role in the onset and progression of such disorders. We have demonstrated that exposure (4 h, 5 days per week for 2 weeks) to concentrated airborne particulate matter increases inflammatory indices in brain of ovalbumin-sensitized BALB/c mice. Animals were divided into three exposure groups: filtered air (control), ultrafine particles, or fine and ultrafine particles. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1alpha) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were increased in brain tissue of mice exposed to particulate matter compared to that of control animals. Levels of the immune-related transcription factor NF-kappaB were also found to be substantially elevated in the brain of exposed groups compared with the control group. These data indicate that components of inhaled particulate matter may trigger a proinflammatory response in nervous tissue that could contribute to the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases.

Impact of emission controls on air quality in Beijing during APEC 2014: lidar ceilometer observations

“…Because of their small radii and high specific areas, atmospheric aerosols can easily accumulate as hazardous material and can be absorbed by human bodies, where they are deposited in Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. the lungs and threaten human health (Englert, 2004;Campbell et al, 2005;Peters, 2005;Auger et al, 2006). With the rapid economic development of China, the amount of industrial products and the number of vehicles increase year by year, thus leading to an increase of energy consumption (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2014).…”

Inhaled ultrafine particulate matter affects CNS inflammatory processes and may act via MAP kinase signaling pathways

“…There is also evidence that inhaled particles can reach the brain, either by transport along the olfactory nerve or possibly by penetration of a blood brain barrier that is compromised by systemic effects of PM . The activities of signaling pathways that mediate inflammatory responses can be up-regulated in the brains of mice exposed to concentrated ambient particles (CAPs) derived from areas near primary emission sources (Campbell et al, 2005). In addition biomarkers of oxidative stress and tissue injury in brain are observed at higher concentrations in mice after exposure to CAPs for as long as 2-weeks post-exposure (Campbell et al, 2005).…”

“…The activities of signaling pathways that mediate inflammatory responses can be up-regulated in the brains of mice exposed to concentrated ambient particles (CAPs) derived from areas near primary emission sources (Campbell et al, 2005). In addition biomarkers of oxidative stress and tissue injury in brain are observed at higher concentrations in mice after exposure to CAPs for as long as 2-weeks post-exposure (Campbell et al, 2005). In this study we examined the association between exposure to PM and adverse CNS effects in apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE-/-) mice.…”

Immunotoxicological impact of occupational and environmental nanoparticles exposure: The influence of physical, chemical, and combined characteristics of the particles

“…[91][92][93][94][95] The recognized toxic effects and the physicochemical characteristics of NPs justify the immediate application of all useful measures, based on the precautionary principle, to limit exposure and protect the health of potentially exposed individuals. 96 At the same time, it would also be useful to have available analytical procedures and devices suitable for the sampling of NPs present in the ambient air.…”