The effects of PM10 on electrocardiogram parameters, blood pressure and oxidative stress in healthy rats: the protective effects of vanillic acid

Oral Administration of Sargassum horneri Suppresses Particulate Matter-Induced Oxidative DNA Damage in Alveolar Macrophages of Allergic Airway Inflammation: Relevance to PM-Mediated M1/M2 AM Polarization

SCOPE

Particulate matter (PM) can cause cellular oxidative damage and promote respiratory diseases. It has recently shown that Sargassum horneri ethanol extract (SHE) containing sterols and gallic acid reduces PM-induced oxidative stress in mice lung cells through ROS scavenging and metal chelating. In this study, the role of alveolar macrophages (AMs) is identified that are particularly susceptible to DNA damage due to PM-triggered oxidative stress in lungs of OVA-sensitized mice exposed to PM.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The study scrutinizes if PM exposure causes oxidative DNA damage to AMs differentially depending on their type of polarization. Further, SHE's potential is investigated in reducing oxidative DNA damage in polarized AMs and restoring AM polarization in PM-induced allergic airway inflammation. The study discovers that PM triggers prolonged oxidative stress to AMs, leading to lipid peroxidation in them and alveolar epithelial cells. Particularly, AMs are polarized to M2 phenotype (F4/80+ CD206+ ) with enhanced oxidative DNA damage when subject to PM-induced oxidative stress. However, SHE repairs oxidative DNA damage in M1- and M2-polarized AMs and reduces AMs polarization imbalance due to PM exposure.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest the possibility of SHE as beneficial foods against PM-induced allergic airway inflammation via suppression of AM dysfunction.

Anthocyanin Effects on Vascular and Endothelial Health: Evidence from Clinical Trials and Role of Gut Microbiota Metabolites

Hypertension and derived cardiovascular disease (CVD) are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Increased oxidative stress and inflammatory state are involved in different alterations in endothelial functions that contribute to the onset of CVD. Polyphenols, and in particular anthocyanins, have aroused great interest for their antioxidant effects and their cardioprotective role. However, anthocyanins are rarely detected in blood serum because they are primarily metabolized by the gut microbiota. This review presents studies published to date that report the main results from clinical studies on the cardioprotective effects of anthocyanins and the role of the gut microbiota in the metabolism and bioavailability of anthocyanins and their influence on the composition of the microbiota. Even if it seems that anthocyanins have a significant effect on vascular health, more studies are required to better clarify which molecules and doses show vascular benefits without forgetting the crucial role of the microbiota.

Sinapic Acid Attenuated Cisplatin-Induced Cardiotoxicity by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and İnflammation with GPX4-Mediated NF-kB Modulation

The use of cisplatin is severely limited by the risk of developing cardiovascular complications. Sinapic acid may reduce cisplatin's side effects. The anti oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and peroxynitrite-scavenging properties of sinapic acid could provide protection against the cardiotoxicity caused by cisplatin. To induce toxicity in rats, cisplatin was administered for a period of 5 weeks. Animal electrocardiograms were obtained after cisplatin toxicity had taken effect. Blood samples and heart tissues were then harvested from the anesthetized animals. The ELISA technique was used to evaluate the level of proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative and nitrosative stress indicators in the heart tissue and serum. A real-time PCR was used to analyze GPX4 and NF-κB expression in the heart tissue. Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome were also utilized. Electrocardiograms data showed an increase in QRS and QT intervals. Biochemically, cisplatin increased oxidative, nitrosative, and proinflammatory cytokine levels. Animals exposed to cisplatin had histopathological findings in the heart tissue, according to the results of histological assessment. Sinapic acid reduced TNF-alpha, interleukin-6, malondialdehyde, and ischemia-modified albumin. Sinapic acid also reduced oxidative and nitrosative stress. Furthermore, Sinapic acid restored lengthy QT and QRS. Cisplatin-treated rats had higher NF-κB activation than controls. This effect was successfully inhibited by sinapic acid. Histopathologically, tissues treated with sinapic acid were less damaged than tissues treated with cisplatin. In conclusion, our results suggest that sinapic acid exhibited a protective effect against the cardiotoxicity induced by cisplatin. These effects may be caused by the overexpression of GPX4 and the downregulation of NF-KB, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Effect of long-term exposure to PM2.5 on years of life lost in a populated Middle Eastern city

From a public health point of view, years of life lost (YLL) is a more important index than the number of deaths to evaluate the effect of risk factors. The objective of the present study was to estimate the burden of disease including years of life lost (YLL) and expected life remaining (ELR) attributed to long-term exposure to PM_2.5 in Ahvaz, one of the most polluted cities of the world, during March 2014 through March 2017. AirQ +  software was used for the estimation of YLL and ELR due to all natural causes of death. Hourly concentrations of PM_2.5 were acquired from the Department of Environment (DoE) of Ahvaz. Several steps were performed to validate the raw air quality data. Only the monitors were included that had minimum data completeness of 75%. Two age groups were selected for this study, including 0-64 and 65 < years. The life table approach was used to estimate YLL and ELR. Annual averages of PM_2.5 were 5.2-8 times higher than the air quality guideline (10 μg/m³) set by WHO for long-term exposure to PM_2.5. In total, PM_2.5 has caused 234,041 years of life lost due to mortality. About 84% of YLLs were attributed to people older than 65 years old. The YLLs of men were higher than those for women. The YLLs in the third year were greater than the first two years. PM_2.5 has caused the average age of total population, people aged 0-64 years old, and people > 65 years old decreased by 2.5, 3, and 1.6 years, respectively. These studies indicated that people in a city that the air quality is highly affected by dust storms, industrial emissions, and urban air pollution are significantly at risk. Air pollution control strategies and actions should be designed and executed to improve the quality of ambient air.

Pharmacological evaluation of vanillic acid in rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease rat model

In the present study, we investigated the anti-Parkinson's effect of vanillic acid (VA) (12 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg p.o.) against rotenone (2 mg/kg s.c.) induced Parkinson's disease (PD) in rats. The continuous administration of rotenone for 35 days resulted in rigidity in muscles, catalepsy, and decrease in locomotor activity, body weight, and rearing behaviour along with the generation of oxidative stress in the brain (rise in the TBARS, and SAG level and reduced CAT, and GSH levels). Co-treatment of VA and levodopa-carbidopa (100 mg/kg + 25 mg/kg p.o.) lead to a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in the muscle rigidity and catalepsy along with a significant (P < 0.001) increase in body weight, rearing behaviour, locomotion and muscle activity as compared to the rotenone-treated group in the dose dependent manner, showing maximum effect at the 50 mg/kg. It also showed reversal of levels of oxidative stress parameters thus, reducing the neuronal oxidative stress. The level of DA was also estimated which showed an increase in the level of DA in the VA plus standard drug treated animals as compared to rotenone treated group. Histopathological evaluation showed a high number of eosinophilic lesions in the rotenone group which were found to be very less in the VA co-treated group. The study thus proved that co-treatment of VA and levodopa-carbidopa, significantly protected the brain from neuronal damage due to oxidative stress and attenuated the motor defects indicating the possible therapeutic potential of VA as a neuroprotective in PD.

Influence of the meteorological conditions and some pollutants on PM10 concentrations in Lamphun, Thailand

Particulate matter (PM) has been occurring regularly during the dry season in the upper north of Thailand including Lamphun Province that might be influenced by various factors including climatologic and other pollutants. This paper aims to investigate the climatologic and gaseous factors influencing the occurrence of PM₁₀ concentration using Pollution Control Department (PCD) data. The secondary data of 2009 to 2017 obtained from the PCD was used for analysis. We used descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, multiple regression and graphic presentation using R program (R packages of 'open air' and 'ncdf4') and Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet®. In addition, the periodic measurement of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ were investigated to determine the ratio of PM_2.5/PM₁₀. The results indicated that haze episodes (daily PM₁₀ concentration always over the PCD standard) normally occur during the dry season from February to April. The maximum concentration was always found in March. The PM₁₀ concentration was negatively associated with relative humidity and temperature while the PM₁₀ concentration showed a strongly positive association with CO and NO₂ concentration with correlation values of 0.70 and 0.57, respectively. Furthermore, we found CO and PM₁₀ concentration was associated with ozone concentration. This finding will benefit local communities and the public health sector to provide a warning system for preparation and response plans to react to PM₁₀ episodes in their responsible areas.

Ellagic Acid Ameliorates Lung Inflammation and Heart Oxidative Stress in Elastase-Induced Emphysema Model in Rat

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most important factors in the progress of cardiovascular disease (CVD) which is associated with limited airflow and alveolar demolition. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible protective effect of ellagic acid (EA), as a natural anti-oxidant, against pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and development of lung and heart injuries induced by elastase. Sixty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats (150-180 g) were divided into six groups: control (saline 0.9%, 1 ml/kg, by gavage), porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) (25 UI/kg, intratracheal), EA (10, 15, and 30 mg/kg, gavage), PPE + EA (30 mg/kg, by gavage). Lead II electrocardiogram was used to evaluate the inotropic and chronotropic parameters of rat heart using Bio-Amp device and the LabChart software. The anti-oxidant levels (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione) and malondialdehyde were measured by appropriate kits, and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) was recorded by the PowerLab system and measured by the LabChart software (ADInstruments). Elastase administration caused an increase in RVSP which was in line with elevated inflammatory cells and cytokines, as well as lipid peroxidation, and decreased anti-oxidant levels. Also, electrocardiogram parameters significantly changed in elastase group compared with control rats. Co-treatment with EA not only restored elastase-depleted anti-oxidant levels and prevented pulmonary arterial hypertension but also improved cardiac chronotropic and inotropic properties. Our results documented that elastase administration leads to pulmonary arterial hypertension and EA, as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant factor, can protect development of lung and heart injuries induced by elastase.

Cardiovascular effects of air pollution: current evidence from animal and human studies

Air pollution is a global health concern. Particulate matter (PM)_2.5, a component of ambient air pollution, has been identified by the World Health Organization as one of the pollutants that poses the greatest threat to public health. Cardiovascular health effects have been extensively documented, and these effects are still being researched to provide an overview of recent literature regarding air pollution-associated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in humans. Additionally, potential mechanisms through which air pollutants affect the cardiovascular system are discussed based on human and additional animal studies. We used the strategy of a narrative review to summarize the scientific literature of studies that were published in the past 7 yr. Searches were carried out on PubMed and Web of Science using predefined search queries. We obtained an initial set of 800 publications that were filtered to 78 publications that were relevant to include in this review. Analysis of the literature showed significant associations between air pollution, especially PM_2.5, and the risk of elevated blood pressure (BP), acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac arrhythmia, and heart failure (HF). Prominent mechanisms that underlie the adverse effects of air pollution include oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, autonomic imbalance, and thrombogenicity. The current review underscores the relevance of air pollution as a global health concern that affects cardiovascular health. More rigorous standards are needed to reduce the cardiovascular disease burden imposed by air pollution. Continued research on the health impact of air pollution is needed to provide further insight.

Investigation of fungal contamination in indoor air and on surfaces of traditional public baths in a historical city

It has been proven that exposure to bioaerosols is associated with several health effects, such as pulmonary diseases and allergies. The present cross-sectional study was aimed to investigate fungal contamination in indoor air and on the surfaces of four traditional baths in Shiraz, Iran, one of the most historical cities in the world. Samples were taken from indoor air, using a microbial air sampler, as well as the surfaces of the shower, hallway, and dressing rooms of studied baths for 3 months. Totally 180 samples, including 45 air and 135 surfaces samples, were collected from studied baths. The concentrations of fungi collected from the air of studied baths were ranged from 22.6 to 34.6 CFU/m³. Besides, the levels of fungi collected from the surface samples of studied baths were ranged from 21.2 to 60 CFU/m². The highest and lowest fungi species detected both in air and surfaces samples of the studied baths were Penicillium spp. and Mucor spp. respectively. Although the levels of fungi in the studied baths were lower than the levels recommended by the World Health Organization, some environmental health measures such as washing and disinfecting surfaces and tools after each working shift and periodic inspections are recommended ensuring the safety of costumers who are visiting such places.

Temporal fluctuations of PM2.5 and PM10, population exposure, and their health impacts in Dezful city, Iran

Morbidity and mortality impacts of particulate matter (PM) are globally important health critical parameters. In this ecological-descriptive study, the health impact of PM10 and PM2.5 associated with there temporal variations in Dezful city were assessed from 2013 to 2015. AirQ+ software handles the PM air pollutants by addressing impact evaluation and life table evaluation. We used a new method to analysis fine particles feature by using regular daily observations of PM10. In this method, relationship between PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations were analyzed and calculated. The annual average concentrations of PM10 were 147.1, 114.3 and 158.8 μg/m3, and the annual average concentration of PM2.5 were 57.8, 50.7 and 58.2 μg/m3 in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively. PM10 also had obvious diurnal variations with highest hourly concentrations in 13:00 and 22:00 but the lowest concentrations often occurred in 05:00 and 16:00. Unexpectedly, in weekends the concentration of PM pollutants appeared to have increased from 18:00 to midnight. The daily based analysis showed that there are 147 dusty days in the study period during which the most severe dusty day occurred in 2014. Over the study period, mean levels of PM10 and PM2.5 in both conditions were higher in 2015 compare to 2013 and 2014, which probably is due to higher frequency of dust storms in 2015. Hence, during 2015 and 2013 they're were higher morbidity and mortality compare to 2014 due to exposure to higher polluted air with PMs in all cases except lung cancer (LC).

Real-time monitoring of toxic components from fine dust air pollutant samples by utilizing spark-induced plasma spectroscopy

A growing modern-day concern is fine dust air pollution that contains heavy metals and ammonium ions (NH₄⁺) from industrial and agricultural waste sources, respectively. In the current study, the development of an innovative and effective technique for real-time, quantitative monitoring of toxic fine dust components using plasma emission spectroscopy is presented as a complement to emergency preparedness plans aimed at reducing dust pollution. A novel spark-induced plasma spectroscopic (SIPS) device that can control the frequency and magnitude of plasma was developed for the toxic pollutants in this work. SIPS utilizes an electrical discharge from a high voltage at a low current to produce plasma when the applied voltage is higher than the ambient voltage surrounding the electrodes. The detection limit of this setup was enhanced by a factor of 4.3 over laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS). This compact sensing device was used in combination with a new quantitative analytical method to measure the concentration of heavy metals and ammonia molecules in fine dust air pollution. By integrating the time-resolved plasma emission signals that were based on the plasma continuum decay time of each element, quantitative measurements of the minute changes in composition of 0.1 μg/m³ were conducted. The findings of this study could inspire future research on the use of SIPS for monitoring airborne fine dust pollutants with better sensitivity in real-time via a new quantitative analytical method.

Alogliptin attenuates cyclophosphamide-induced nephrotoxicity: a novel therapeutic approach through modulating MAP3K/JNK/SMAD3 signaling cascade

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is widely used as a chemotherapy against various types of cancers. However, CP is accompanied with multiple organ toxicity due to production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), induction of inflammation and consequently apoptosis. Alogliptin (Alo) is a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-IV) inhibitor, which is booming as an antidiabetic agent. Interestingly, gliptins are currently studied for their counter-regulatory effects against oxidative stress and inflammation via multiple pathways, among which is the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. This cascade can reduce inflammation via mitigating the activity of mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (SMAD3) and c-Jun. However, Alo effect against CP-induced kidney injury has not been previously elucidated. This tempted us to investigate the possible beneficial effect of Alo against CP-induced kidney injury via modulating the MAP3K/JNK/SMAD3 signaling cascade. Thirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into four groups. CP-treated group received a single dose of CP (200 mg/kg; i.p.). Alo-treated group received Alo (20 mg/kg/day; p.o.) for 7 days with single CP injection on day 2. Marked decrease in renal injury was observed upon Alo treatment, as evidenced through declined serum kidney function markers, oxidative stress and apoptosis markers, MAP3K expression, phospho (p)-SMAD3, p-JNK, and p-c-Jun levels. These cellular effects were reflected in reduced transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) fibrotic and inflammatory mediators, coinciding with improved histopathological portrait. In conclusion, the current study provides novel application of Alo as a therapeutic modality against CP-induced nephrotoxicity.

Effects of short-term ambient air pollution exposure on HPV infections: A five-year hospital-based study

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are common sexually-transmitted diseases among reproductive-aged women with increasing concern. Until now, there are no prior study about the association between HPV infections and ambient air pollution. This study aimed to explore the relationship between short-term exposure to ambient pollutants and daily outpatient visits for HPV infections in China. Data of daily outpatient visits for HPV infections were obtained from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2018 (1826 days). Over-dispersed Poisson generalized additive models were applied by adjusting weather conditions and day of the week. We identified a total of 39,746 cases for HPV infections. A 10 μg/m³ increase of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, SO₂, and NO₂ or a 0.1 mg/m³ rise of CO in concurrent day (lag 0) concentrations was related to an elevation of 0.822% (95% Cl: 0.282%, 1.36%), 1.05% (95% Cl: 0.280%, 1.81%), 5.72% (95% Cl: 1.79%, 9.65%), 5.02% (95% Cl: 3.45%, 6.60%), and 2.40% (95% Cl: 1.43%, 3.37%) in daily outpatient-visits for HPV infections, respectively. The association was more significant in those women aged 41 or over. As for 10 μg/m³ increase of O₃, a -1.33% (95% Cl: -2.13%, -0.530%) change was observed on the lag 03 and such effects appeared to be more obvious in the aged 18-40 group. Our results provided the first evidence that short-term exposure to ambient pollutants was related to, which may be indirectly, the increased risk of HPV infections while O₃ may act as a "protective" factor.

Safety Assessment of Vanillic Acid: Subacute Oral Toxicity Studies in Wistar Rats

OBJECTIVES

Vanillic acid (VA) is a flavoring agent, a phenolic acid, and an intermediary by-product formed during transformation of ferulic acid to vanillin. It has been investigated for diverse pharmacological actions and used in Chinese medicine for decades. However, there is no information in the literature about its mechanism of toxicity or safety with long-term use. The present study will not only supply information on its pharmacological profile but also encourage evidence-based pharmacotherapeutic use. Hence, we performed a subacute toxicity study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Test Guideline 407 (2008), 3 groups of rats were formed consisting of 12 rats (6 male and 6 female) in each group. For the subacute toxicity, the dose was chosen after a limit test was conducted. VA (1000 mg/kg/day) was orally administered for 2 weeks to the treatment group, whereas the control group received an equivalent volume of the vehicle. To assess reversibility, VA (1000 mg/kg/day, p.o.) was administered to the satellite group for 2 weeks and animals were observed for an additional 2 weeks after treatment. The adverse signs, variation in body weight, and mortality were evaluated throughout the study period. On days 15 and 29, blood was collected to evaluate essential biochemical and hematological parameters. The animals were subsequently weighed and sacrificed. The weights of internal organs were recorded; gross necroscopy and histopathological studies were performed.

RESULTS

The hematological parameters of the satellite group increased and the serum sodium level decreased after the treatment. Satellite groups showed no other major change in biochemical parameters when compared to the control group. In addition, relative organ weights, gross necropsy examinations and histopathological structure of the internal organs showed no major alterations.

CONCLUSION

VA showed no adverse effect on the process of leukopoiesis, erythropoiesis or on internal organs, as verified by hematological and biochemical evaluations, gross necropsy, and histopathological studies. The decrease in serum sodium is not considered as a major toxic effect.

The response of dust emission sources to climate change: Current and future simulation for southwest of Iran

This study recognizes present dust emission sources (DESs) and their future projections in the southwest of Iran (2050 and 2070) through simulations performed by distribution models. The sites observation, raster dataset of climate layers and statistical models in the MaxEnt software were used to predict the current and future dust coverage and distribution, and their response to climate change using representative concentration pathways (RCPs) scenarios of +2.6, +4.5, +6.0, and +8.5 W m^-2 projections. Statistical machine learning analysis show that 40.8% of the study area covering 25,810 km² are susceptible to emit dust at the present time, and its projections will increase up to 28,839, 26,002, 26,071 and 26,124 km² for RCP scenarios of +2.6, +4.5, +6.0, and +8.5 W m^-2, respectively, by the year 2070. Temperature and precipitation assessments show that the most effective parameters determine future changes in DES coverage and distribution. The area under the curve (AUC) for DESs was 0.919, and results of Jackknife analyses show high sensitivity of dust sources to climate variables. The results illustrate that the present DESs are mainly driven by a combination of temperature, precipitation and land-use management, and the effects of nature are comparable to the anthropogenic activities, as humans continue to shape the DESs through energy, water and land use. The predicted increase of DESs may substantially worsen dust storms in the future, thereby affecting the functioning of ecosystems as well as human health. The outcomes of this study may support biocrust restoration technologies as a suitable option in sustainable management of arid lands and dust emission sources.

Cardiovascular effects of airborne particulate matter: A review of rodent model studies

In recent year, animal models have been growingly used to increase our knowledge about the toxicity of PM and underlying mechanisms leading to cardiovascular diseases. In this article, we review the current state of knowledge and findings of studies investigating the cardiovascular effects of PM in rats and mice. The six main areas covered in this review include: I) nature of particulate matter and toxicity mechanisms, II) systemic inflammation, III) heart rate and heart rate variability, IV) histopathological effects, V) atherosclerosis, VI) thrombosis, and VI) myocardial infarction. This review showed that animal model studies have been successful to bring new insights into the mechanisms underlying PM-induced cardiovascular diseases. However, there are some areas that the exact mechanisms are still unclear. In conclusion, investigating the cardiovascular effects of PM in vivo or interpreting the results should attempt to justify the role of different PM compositions, which may vastly affect the overall cytotoxicity of particles.

Protective effects of naringin and trimetazidine on remote effect of acute renal injury on oxidative stress and myocardial injury through Nrf-2 regulation

BACKGROUND

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is the predominant cause of acute renal failure (ARF), which damages the remote organs, especially the heart, and subsequently leads to death. The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of naringin (NAR), trimetazidine (TMZ), or their combination on the Nrf-2 expression in the kidney tissue, and myocardial injury in the renal IR injury in rats.

METHODS

Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly separated into five groups as follows: sham, IR injury, TMZ (5 mg/kg, intravenously), NAR (100 mg/kg), and their combination. Renal I/R injury and ischemia were induced by using clamps for 45 min, and after 4 h reperfusion, respectively. Then, the Nrf-2 expression in the kidney, antioxidant activity (CAT, SOD, and GPx), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oxidative stress, electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters, and biochemical markers were examined.

RESULTS

Renal IR injury significantly reduced the Nrf-2 expression, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT) enzymes' activities and TAC. Moreover, Malondialdehyde (MDA) level in kidney and heart tissues, plasma creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity were increased, and ECG parameters were significantly distributed; however, NAR, TMZ, or their combination improved these changes, in comparison with the renal IR injury in rats.

CONCLUSION

NAR, TMZ, or their combination could attenuate the Nrf-2 expression in the kidney tissue, following the renal IR injury through inhibition of lipid peroxidase, and enhancement of antioxidant activity.

Estimation of hospital admission respiratory disease cases attributed to exposure to SO2 and NO2 in two different sectors of Egypt

Air Q_2.2.3 was used to predicted hospital admissions respiratory disease cases due to SO₂ and NO₂ exposure in two sectors of Egypt during December 2015 to November 2016. Levels were 19, 22 µg/m³ at Ain Sokhna sector and 92, 78 µg/m³ at Shoubra El-Khaima sector for SO₂ and NO₂, respectively. These levels were less than the Egyptian Permissible limits (125 µg/m³ in urban and 150 µg/m³ in industrial for SO₂, 150 µg/m³ in urban and industrial for NO₂). Results showed that relative risks were 1.0330 (1.0246 - 1.0414) and 1.0229 (1.0171 - 1.0287) at Ain Sokhna sector while they were 1.0261 (1.0195 - 1.0327) and 1.0226 (1.0169 - 1.0283) at Shoubra El-Khaima sector for SO₂ and NO₂, respectively. The highest cases of HARD were found in Shoubra El-Khaima sector; 311 cases at 120 - 129 µg/m3 of SO₂ and 234 cases at 120 - 129 µg/m³ of NO₂. While, in Ain Sokhna, HARD were 18 cases at 50 - 59 µg/m³ of SO₂ and 15 cases at 60 - 69 µg/m³ of NO2. The excess cases found in Shoubra El-Khaima sector as compared to those in Ain Sokhna sector, may be attributed to the higher density of population and industries in Shoubra El-Khaima sector.

Inhale, exhale: Why particulate matter exposure in animal models are so acute?

Ecotoxicological studies that try to describe the effects of particulate matter (PM) on human health are important in order to gain a deeper understanding of their effects in disease outcomes. Because exposure protocols are not easily comparable, evaluating human PM exposure is a difficult task. Thus, interpreting ambiguous or conflicting results from different experiments could lead to misleading conclusions about the true nature of PM effects. To address these issues, we compiled a collection of relevant research articles in order to compare present PM exposure methods and extract data related to concentration, inhalation rates (IR), and doses. We also compare the experimental exposure levels reported in these articles to PM levels around the world. In particular, our dataset covers reported results from 75 research articles. To allow for comparison between protocols, we used this data to fit a normalization equation that depends upon concentration, exposure time, dose, inhalability, and physiological parameters. Based on the collected research papers, instillation is the prevalent exposure method. Also, the median PM IR from these experiments is three orders of magnitude higher than the PM IR found in environmental conditions (EAP). Experiments employing inhalation of concentrated PM show IR results that are two orders of magnitude higher than EAP; these results are cause for concerns, since the PM exposure were acute, sudden, and higher than the worst-case exposure scenarios reported by the world megacities. We also found that different PM exposure protocols are sources for the observed variability in physiological response results found from animal models. We discuss these findings and make suggestions for future exposure methodologies. Such considerations should be valuable for quantifying PM exposure in disease outcomes.

Inhale, exhale: Why particulate matter exposure in animal models are so acute? Data and facts behind the history

We present a dataset obtained by extracting information from an extensive literature search of toxicological experiments using mice and rat animal models to study the effects of exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM). Our dataset covers results reported from 75 research articles considering paper published in 2017 and seminal papers from previous years. The compiled data and normalization were processed with an equation based on a PM dosimetry model. This equation allows the comparison of different toxicological experiments using instillation and inhalation as PM exposure protocols with respect to inhalation rates, concentrations and PM exposure doses of the toxicological experiments performed by different protocols using instillation and inhalation PM as exposure methods. This data complements the discussions and interpretations presented in the research article “Inhale, exhale: why particulate matter exposure in animal models are so acute?” Curbani et al., 2019.

Short-term effects of ambient air pollution and cardiovascular events in Shiraz, Iran, 2009 to 2015

Air pollution and dust storms are associated with increased cardiovascular hospital admissions. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and CVD (cardiovascular disease) events in a long-term observational period. The study included the events of cardiovascular diseases (namely coronary artery disease, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, and pneumo thrombo embolism) within the population of Shiraz, from March 21, 2009 to March 20, 2015. Also, each patient's demographics were recorded. Main meteorological variables and five ambient pollutants (CO, O₃, SO₂, NO₂, and PM₁₀) were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using linear regression (GLM) and a generalized additive model (GAM) estimating Poisson distribution and adjusted for the main risk factors and ambient meteorological variables. A mild prevalence (51.5%) of coronary artery disease (CAD) was registered in 6425 events. In GLM analysis, we observed an association among the pollutants with the coronary artery disease hospital admissions which was in the order of CO, NO₂, and PM₁₀. The highest association of each pollutant with hospital admission was observed as PM₁₀ at lag 4 (RR = 1.08; 95% CI 1.02, 1.14 and p < 0.05), NO₂ at lag 0 (RR = 1.22; 95% CI 1.00, 1.48), and CO at lag 0 (RR = 1.52 95% CI = (1.16, 1.99)). However, on dusty days, there were significantly higher numbers of referrals of cardiovascular patients (mean = 7.54 ± 4.44 and p = 0.002,) than on non-dusty days. According to these data, dust storms and some types of pollutants in the air are responsible for more admissions to hospitals for cardiovascular problems.

In vivo and in vitro evidence for the involvement of Nrf2-antioxidant response element signaling pathway in the inflammation and oxidative stress induced by particulate matter (PM10): the effective role of gallic acid

Environmental pollution is one of the risk factors for respiratory diseases. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is the major mechanisms contributing to cellular defense against oxidative damage. Gallic acid (GA) is regarded as potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents. The aim was to evaluate the role of Nrf2 pathway in particulate matter (PM₁₀) exposure on lung and epithelial cells with an emphasis on the role of GA. In in vivo part, the rats were divided as control, GA (30 mg/kg), particulate matter (PM) (0.5, 2.5, and 5 mg/kg), and PM + GA. In in vitro study, the cells were divided as control, PM₁₀ (100, 250, and 500 µg/ml), GA (50 µmol/L) and PM₁₀+GA. Inflammation, oxidative stress and Nrf2-pathway factors were assessed. PM₁₀ groups showed a considerable increase in the epithelial permeability and inflammatory parameters. We also found a significant decrease in the expression of Nrf2 and its up-stream regulators genes. Accordingly, the biosynthesis of glutathione (GSH) and other antioxidant activities significantly decreased. Gallic acid was identified to restore the antioxidant status to the normal levels. Our findings approved that Nrf2 is involved in PM₁₀-induced oxidative damages and showed that Nrf2 activation by natural agents could ameliorate respiratory injuries induced by PM₁₀.

The Association between Indoor Air Quality and Adult Blood Pressure Levels in a High-Income Setting

Background: Indoor air pollution is still considered one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We aimed to investigate the potential association between indoor particulate matter (PM) and fasting clinic blood pressure in adult Australians. Methods: Sixty-three participants residing within the Perth metropolitan area were studied. Participants were aged between 18 and 65 years and free of major medical conditions. We conducted 24-h monitoring of residential PM concentrations, including the size fractions PM1, PM2.5, PM4, and PM10. All participants attended a clinical assessment at Curtin University following a 10–12 h overnight fast. Results: In this study we found that PM1 and PM2.5 were significantly associated with heart rate: a one interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM1 or PM2.5 was associated with a 4–6 beats per minute (bpm) increase in heart rate. Both PM10 and total PM exposure had a significant impact on systolic blood pressure (SBP): a one IQR increase in PM10 and total PM were associated with a 10 mmHg (95% CI: 0.77–20.05) and 12 mmHg (2.28–22.43 mmHg) increase in SBP, respectively. Conclusion: The study findings provide additional support to the thesis that indoor air pollution is an important modifiable factor in the risk of hypertension.

Association between cancer risk and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons' exposure in the ambient air of Ahvaz, southwest of Iran

Nowadays, a large number of health endpoints such as disease rates, treatment costs, and death, by air pollutants, have been a serious health problem for humans. One of the most hazardous air pollutants, which is highly dangerous for human health, is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The existence of the emission of industries' pollutants and seasonal variations are the primary agents affecting PAHs' concentration. The purposes of this study were to calculate the cancer risk and measure PAHs' exposure in the ambient air of Ahvaz, southwest of Iran, during 2017. Three distinct areas ((S1) industrial, (S2) high traffic, and (S3) residential) of Ahvaz metropolitan were selected. Omni sampler equipped with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filters were used for active sampling of PAHs. To detect the level of PAHs, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used. Incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) and lifetime average daily dose (LADD) were used to estimate the health risk caused by PAHs. The results showed that the residential and industrial areas had the lowest and highest level of PAHs. Moreover, the average levels of PAHs in industrial, high traffic, and residential areas were 8.44 ± 3.37, 7.11 ± 2.64, and 5.52 ± 1.63 ng m^-3, respectively. Furthermore, ILCR in autumn and winter was higher than EPA standard, 0.06307 and 0.04718, respectively. In addition, ILCR in different areas was significantly higher than standard. Research findings imply that the levels of exposure to PAHs can increase ILCR and risk of health endpoint. The cancer risk attributed to PAHs should be further investigated from the perspective of the public health in metropolitans.

Effects of urban coarse particles inhalation on oxidative and inflammatory parameters in the mouse lung and colon

Background

Air pollution is a recognized aggravating factor for pulmonary diseases and has notably deleterious effects on asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia. Recent studies suggest that air pollution may also cause adverse effects in the gastrointestinal tract. Accumulating experimental evidence shows that immune responses in the pulmonary and intestinal mucosae are closely interrelated, and that gut-lung crosstalk controls pathophysiological processes such as responses to cigarette smoke and influenza virus infection. Our first aim was to collect urban coarse particulate matter (PM) and to characterize them for elemental content, gastric bioaccessibility, and oxidative potential; our second aim was to determine the short-term effects of urban coarse PM inhalation on pulmonary and colonic mucosae in mice, and to test the hypothesis that the well-known antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) reverses the effects of PM inhalation.

Results

The collected PM had classical features of urban particles and possessed oxidative potential partly attributable to their metal fraction. Bioaccessibility study confirmed the high solubility of some metals at the gastric level. Male mice were exposed to urban coarse PM in a ventilated inhalation chamber for 15 days at a concentration relevant to episodic elevation peak of air pollution. Coarse PM inhalation induced systemic oxidative stress, recruited immune cells to the lung, and increased cytokine levels in the lung and colon. Concomitant oral administration of NAC reversed all the observed effects relative to the inhalation of coarse PM.

Conclusions

Coarse PM-induced low-grade inflammation in the lung and colon is mediated by oxidative stress and deserves more investigation as potentiating factor for inflammatory diseases.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12989-017-0227-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Health benefits of PM10 reduction in Iran

Air pollution contains a complex mixture of poisonous compounds including particulate matter (PM) which has wide spectrum of adverse health effects. The main purpose of this study was to estimate the potential health impacts or benefits due to any changes in annual PM₁₀ level in four major megacities of Iran. The required data of PM₁₀ for AirQ software was collected from air quality monitoring stations in four megacities of Iran. The preprocessing was carried out using macro coding in excel environment. The relationship between different presumptive scenarios and health impacts was determined. We also assessed the health benefits of reducing PM₁₀ to WHO Air Quality Guidelines (WHO-AQGs) and National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQSs) levels with regard to the rate of mortality and morbidity in studied cities. We found that the 10 μg/m³ increase in annual PM₁₀ concentration is responsible for seven (95% CI 6-8) cases increase in total number of deaths per 2 × 10⁵ person. We also found that 10.7, 7.2, 5.7, and 5.3% of total death is attributable to short-term exposure to air pollution for Ahvaz, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tehran, respectively. We found that by attaining the WHO's proposed value for PM₁₀, the potential health benefits of 89, 84, 79, and 78% were obtained in Ahvaz, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tehran, respectively. The results also indicated that 27, 10, 3, and 1% of health impacts were attributed to dust storm days for Ahvaz, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tehran, respectively.

Comparison of normal and dusty day impacts on fractional exhaled nitric oxide and lung function in healthy children in Ahvaz, Iran

Children are the vulnerable group at risk of adverse health effects related to air pollution due to dust storm in Ahvaz. The purpose of this study was to compare the values of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) and lung functions as parameters of adverse health effects of particulate matter (PM) in dusty and normal (non-dusty) days in elementary schoolchildren. The study was conducted among elementary school students in Ahvaz. The healthy elementary schoolchildren (N = 105) were selected from different districts for FENO and lung function sampling during the dusty and normal days. The values of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 during dusty days were higher than during normal days. Mean values of FENO during the normal and dusty days were 14.23 and 20.3 ppb, respectively, and the difference between these values was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Lung function results showed a statistically significant difference between the mean values of forced vital capacity during the dusty and normal days (p < 0.05). The results revealed a significant difference both in the values of inflammatory biomarker and in the lung function tests in dusty and normal days. Based on our results, fractional exhaled nitric oxide could be a useful short-term biomarker of particulate pollution effect coupled with spirometry.

Cardiopulmonary mortality and COPD attributed to ambient ozone

Tropospheric ozone is the second most important atmospheric pollutant after particulate matter with respect to its impact on human health and is increasing of its concentrations globally. The main objective of this study was to assess of health effects attributable to ground-level ozone (O₃) in Kermanshah, Iran using one-hour O₃ concentrations measured between March 2014 and March 2015. The AirQ program was applied for estimation of the numbers of cardiovascular mortality (CM), respiratory mortality (RM), and hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HA-COPD) using relative risk (RR) and baseline incidence (BI) as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). The largest percentage of person-days for different O₃ concentrations was in the concentration range of 30-39µg/m³. The health modeling results suggested that ~2% (95% CI: 0-2.9%) of cardiovascular mortality, 5.9% (95% CI: 2.3-9.4) of respiratory mortality, and 4.1% (CI: 2.5-6.1%) of the HA-COPD were attributed to O₃ concentrations higher than 10µg/m³. For each 10µg/m³ increase in O₃ concentration, the risk of cardiovascular mortality, respiratory mortality, and HA-COPD increased by 0.40%, 1.25%, and 0.86%, respectively. Furthermore, 88.8% of health effects occurred on days with O₃ level less than 100µg/m³. Thus, action is needed to reduce the emissions of O₃ precursors especially transport and energy production in Kermanshah.

Effects of PM2.5 and NO2 on the 8-isoprostane and lung function indices of FVC and FEV1 in students of Ahvaz city, Iran

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between PM_2.5 and NO₂ pollutants and oxidative stress marker (8-isoprostane) and lung function tests (FVC and FEV₁) in healthy children who were living and studying in three different areas of Ahvaz city including A₁: Naderi site with high traffic, A₂: Alavi Alley site with average traffic, and A₃: Ein 2 site with low traffic (a rural area on the suburb of Ahvaz). 30 students in the 12-13 year-old range were selected from each studied zone (1, 2 and 3 sites) during three months of year. Of each student, one sample was taken every two weeks to measure 8-isoprostane of exhaled breath condensate (EBC). Air pollution data were collected from three air quality monitoring stations. Also, the relationship between air pollution and 8-isoprostane as well as lung function tests were determined using generalized estimating equations (GEE). The mean concentration of PM_2.5 and NO₂ in A₁, A₂ and A₃ areas were 116, 92 and 45 (μg/m³) also 77, 53 and 14 (ppb) respectively. Among all studied students, there was a significant correlation between the increase of mean concentration of PM_2.5 and NO₂ in 1-4 before sampling day, increased 8-isoprostane concentration and decreased FEV₁, while there was no significant correlation between them and decreased FVC. In A₁ site, an increase in IQR (13 μg/m³) PM_2.5 and IQR (6.5 ppb) NO₂ on 1-4 days before sampling was associated with 0.38 unit (95% CI: 0.11, 0.65) and 1.1 unit (95% CI: 0.85, 1.35) increase in 8-isoprostane concentration, also decreased 121 ml and 190 ml FEV₁, respectively. Results showed that the short-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution can decrease the values of lung function indices and increase the oxidative stress. It may adversely affect children's lungs.

Temporal profile of PM10 and associated health effects in one of the most polluted cities of the world (Ahvaz, Iran) between 2009 and 2014

Ahvaz, Iran ranks as the most polluted city of the world in terms of PM₁₀ concentrations that lead to deleterious effects on its inhabitants. This study examines diurnal, weekly, monthly and annual fluctuations of PM₁₀ between 2009 and 2014 in Ahvaz. Health effects of PM₁₀ levels are also assessed using the World Health Organization AirQ software. Over the study period, the mean PM₁₀ level in Ahvaz was 249.5 µg m^-3, with maximum and minimum values in July (420.5 µg m^-3) and January (154.6 µg m^-3), respectively. The cumulative diurnal PM₁₀ profile exhibits a dominant peak between 08:00-11:00 (local time) with the lowest levels in the afternoon hours. While weekend PM₁₀ levels are not significantly reduced as compared to weekdays, an anthropogenic signature is instead observed diurnally on weekdays, which exhibit higher PM₁₀ levels between 07:00-17:00 by an average amount of 14.2 µg m^-3 as compared to weekend days. PM₁₀ has shown a steady mean-annual decline between 2009 (315.2 µg m^-3) and 2014 (143.5 µg m^-3). The AirQ model predicts that mortality was a health outcome for a total of 3777 individuals between 2009 and 2014 (i.e., 630 per year). The results of this study motivate more aggressive strategies in Ahvaz and similarly polluted desert cities to reduce the health effects of the enormous ambient aerosol concentrations.