Early evidence of stress in immortalized neurons exposed to diesel particles: the role of lipid reshaping behind oxidative stress and inflammation

Unravelling the signaling power of pollutants

Exposure to environmental pollutants contributes to diverse pathologies, including pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infections, cancer, and stroke. Pollutants' entry can occur through inhalation, traversing endothelial and epithelial barriers, and crossing the blood-brain barrier, leading to a wide distribution throughout the human body via systemic circulation. Pollutants cause cellular damage by multiple mechanisms encompassing oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, (neuro)inflammation, and protein instability/proteotoxicity. Sensing pollutants has added a new dimension to disease progression and drug failure. Understanding the molecular pathways and potential receptor binding/signaling that underpin 'sensing' could contribute to ways to combat the detrimental effects of pollutants. We highlight key points of pollutant signaling, crosstalk with receptors acting as drug targets for chronic diseases, and discuss the potential for future therapeutics.

Prenatal and early postnatal exposure to ambient particulate matter and early childhood neurodevelopment: A birth cohort study

Adverse impacts of prenatal or postnatal ambient particulate matter exposure have been identified on offspring neurodevelopment. However, it is unclear whether the effect in the two exposure periods is different for early childhood neurodevelopment. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the associations of prenatal and early postnatal exposure to ambient particulate matter with offspring neurodevelopment at 2 years of age and to identify which period was more sensitive to the effects of ambient particulate matter on offspring neurodevelopment. A total of 1331 mother-child pairs from a birth cohort were included in this study from October 2013 to September 2014 in Wuhan, China. The concentrations of ambient daily fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and particulate matter less than 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM₁₀) at each participant's home address during pregnancy and the first two years after birth were estimated by land-use regression models (LUR). Offspring neurodevelopment was measured by the Chinese revision of Bayley Scale of Infant Development (BSID-CR) for each child at 2 years of age. Mental developmental index (MDI) and psychomotor developmental index (PDI) from the BSID-CR were used as outcome variables. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was used to estimate the associations of prenatal and postnatal PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ exposure with offspring neurodevelopment. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found that both prenatal and early postnatal exposure to PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ were associated with decreased offspring MDI and PDI scores. Compared with prenatal exposure, the associations of early postnatal exposure to PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ with offspring MDI and PDI were stronger. This study indicates that exposure to ambient particulate matters, mainly during early postnatal period and to a lesser extent prenatally, is associated with impaired offspring neurodevelopment.

An Exploratory Study of the Relationships Between Diesel Engine Exhaust Particle Inhalation, Pulmonary Inflammation and Anxious Behavior

Recent technical developments brought negative side effects such as air pollution and large-scale fires, increasingly exposing people to diesel engine exhaust particles (DEP). Testing how DEP inhalation triggers pathophysiology in animal models could be useful in determining how it affects humans. To this end, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pulmonary exposure to DEP for seven consecutive days in experimental male C5BL6/N mice. Twenty-four C5BL6/N mice were treated with one of the three test materials: distilled water for control, a low DEP exposure (5 mg/kg), or a high DEP exposure (15 mg/kg). Exposure to DEP induced decreased body weight; however, it gradually increased pulmonary weight in a DEP-dose-dependent manner. DEP exposure significantly elevated soot accumulation in the lungs, with the alteration of pulmonary homeostasis. It also elevated infiltrated immune cells, thus significantly increasing inflammatory cytokine mRNA and protein production in the lungs and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid, respectively. Pulmonary DEP exposure also altered behavioral responses in the open field test (OFT). Low exposure elevated moving distance and speed, while significantly decreasing the number of trials to enter the central zone. Different concentrations of DEP resulted in different behavioral changes; however, while anxiety levels increased, their degree was independent of DEP concentrations. Results suggest that DEP exposure may possess pro-inflammatory responses in the lungs and trigger anxiety.

Air Pollution and Covid-19: The Role of Particulate Matter in the Spread and Increase of Covid-19's Morbidity and Mortality

Sars-cov-2 virus (Covid-19) is a member of the coronavirus family and is responsible for the pandemic recently declared by the World Health Organization. A positive correlation has been observed between the spread of the virus and air pollution, one of the greatest challenges of our millennium. Covid-19 could have an air transmission and atmospheric particulate matter (PM) could create a suitable environment for transporting the virus at greater distances than those considered for close contact. Moreover, PM induces inflammation in lung cells and exposure to PM could increase the susceptibility and severity of the Covid-19 patient symptoms. The new coronavirus has been shown to trigger an inflammatory storm that would be sustained in the case of pre-exposure to polluting agents. In this review, we highlight the potential role of PM in the spread of Covid-19, focusing on Italian cities whose PM daily concentrations were found to be higher than the annual average allowed during the months preceding the epidemic. Furthermore, we analyze the positive correlation between the virus spread, PM, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a receptor involved in the entry of the virus into pulmonary cells and inflammation.

Effects of air pollution on the nervous system and its possible role in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders

Recent extensive evidence indicates that air pollution, in addition to causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, may also negatively affect the brain and contribute to central nervous system diseases. Air pollution is comprised of ambient particulate matter (PM) of different sizes, gases, organic compounds, and metals. An important contributor to PM is represented by traffic-related air pollution, mostly ascribed to diesel exhaust (DE). Epidemiological and animal studies have shown that exposure to air pollution may be associated with multiple adverse effects on the central nervous system. In addition to a variety of behavioral abnormalities, the most prominent effects caused by air pollution are oxidative stress and neuro-inflammation, which are seen in both humans and animals, and are supported by in vitro studies. Among factors which can affect neurotoxic outcomes, age is considered most relevant. Human and animal studies suggest that air pollution may cause developmental neurotoxicity, and may contribute to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. In addition, air pollution exposure has been associated with increased expression of markers of neurodegenerative disease pathologies, such as alpha-synuclein or beta-amyloid, and may thus contribute to the etiopathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Systemic Exposure to Air Pollution Induces Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Mouse Brain, Contributing to Neurodegeneration Onset

In northern Italy, biomass burning-derived (BB) particles and diesel exhaust particles (DEP) are considered the most significant contributors to ultrafine particle (UFP) emission. However, a comparison between their impact on different brain regions was not investigated until now. Therefore, male BALB/c mice were treated with a single or three consecutive intratracheal instillations using 50 µg of UFPs in 100 µL of isotonic saline solution or 100 µL of isotonic saline solution alone, and brains were collected and analyzed. Proteins related to oxidative stress and inflammation, as well as Alzheimer's disease markers, were examined in the hippocampus, cerebellum, and the rest of the brain (RoB). Histopathological examination of the brain was also performed. Moreover, correlations among different brain, pulmonary, and cardiovascular markers were performed, allowing us to identify the potentially most stressful UFP source. Although both acute exposures induced inflammatory pathways in mouse brain, only DEP showed strong oxidative stress. The sub-acute exposure also induced the modulation of APP and BACE1 protein levels for both UFPs. We observed that DEP exposure is more harmful than BB, and this different response could be explained by this UFP's different chemical composition and reactivity.

Transcriptome analysis in normal human liver cells exposed to 2, 3, 3', 4, 4', 5 - Hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 156)

BACKGROUNDS

Polychlorinated biphenyls are persistent environmental pollutants associated with the onset of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in humans, but there is limited information on the underlying mechanism. In the present study, we investigated the alterations in gene expression profiles in normal human liver cells L-02 following exposure to 2, 3, 3', 4, 4', 5 - hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 156), a potent compound that may induce non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

METHODS

The L-02 cells were exposed to PCB 156 for 72 h and the contents of intracellular triacylglyceride and total cholesterol were subsequently measured. Microarray analysis of mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the cells was also performed after 3.4 μM PCB 156 treatment.

RESULTS

Exposure to PCB 156 (3.4 μM, 72 h) resulted in significant increases of triacylglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations in L-02 cells. Microarray analysis identified 222 differentially expressed mRNAs and 628 differentially expressed lncRNAs. Gene Ontology and pathway analyses associated the differentially expressed mRNAs with metabolic and inflammatory processes. Moreover, lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network revealed 36 network pairs comprising 10 differentially expressed mRNAs and 34 dysregulated lncRNAs. The results of bioinformatics analysis further indicated that dysregulated lncRNA NONHSAT174696, lncRNA NONHSAT179219, and lncRNA NONHSAT161887, as the regulators of EDAR, CYP1B1, and ALDH3A1 respectively, played an important role in the PCB 156-induced lipid metabolism disorder.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide an overview of differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs in L-02 cells exposed to PCB 156, and contribute to the field of polychlorinated biphenyl-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Characterization of Gas and Particulate Phase Organic Emissions (C9-C37) from a Diesel Engine and the Effect of Abatement Devices

Particulate and vapor phase emissions in the diluted exhaust of a light-duty diesel engine designed for Euro 5 application have been sampled. The engine was operated in three modes, and samples were collected from the exhaust without aftertreatment but also with aftertreatment by an exhaust oxidation catalyst and particle filter. The samples were analyzed by two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectral detection. The results show overall removal efficiencies for the organic compound mass by the combination of oxidation catalyst and particle filter of 50, 56, and 74% for the high-speed/high-load, low-speed/low-load, and high-speed/low-load conditions respectively. The results are clearly indicative of substantial repartitioning of the particulate and vapor components within the abatement devices and show an apparently reduced efficiency for the removal of high-molecular-weight alkanes under high-speed/high-load conditions relative to lower-molecular-weight compounds, although this may be due to alkane formation by thermocracking of other species. A notable feature is the presence of oxygenated compounds in the emissions, which are not present in the fuel. These are increased under high-speed/high-load conditions, and the results suggest the formation in the aftertreatment devices as well as in the combustion process.