Physical activity attenuated the association of air pollutants with telomere length in rural Chinese adults

Ruiying Li; Shanshan Li; Mingming Pan; Hao Chen; Xiaotian Liu; Gongbo Chen; Ruoling Chen; Zhenxing Mao; Wenqian Huo; Xian Wang; Songcheng Yu; Yanying Duan; Yuming Guo; Jian Hou; Chongjian Wang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143491

Physical activity attenuated the association of air pollutants with telomere length in rural Chinese adults

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Mar 10:759:143491. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143491. Epub 2020 Nov 11.

Authors

Ruiying Li¹, Shanshan Li², Mingming Pan¹, Hao Chen¹, Xiaotian Liu¹, Gongbo Chen³, Ruoling Chen⁴, Zhenxing Mao¹, Wenqian Huo¹, Xian Wang⁵, Songcheng Yu⁶, Yanying Duan⁷, Yuming Guo², Jian Hou⁸, Chongjian Wang⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China.
² Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
³ Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
⁴ Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK.
⁵ Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China.
⁶ Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China.
⁷ Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, PR China.
⁸ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China. Electronic address: Houjian1988@zzu.edu.cn.
⁹ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China. Electronic address: tjwcj2008@zzu.edu.cn.

PMID: 33218817
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143491

Abstract

Background: Exposure to air pollutants (nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matters (PMs)) or physical inactivity is linked to telomere length (TL) shortening. However, there is a lack of research on combined effects of either NO₂ or PMs and physical activity (PA) on TL. This study aimed to explore the joint associations of air pollutants (NO₂ or PMs) and PA with relative TL in rural Chinese adults.

Methods: This study was conducted among 2704 participants aged 18-79 years in rural China. Concentrations of NO₂ and PMs (PM with an aerodynamics diameter ≤ 1.0 μm (PM₁), ≤2.5 μm (PM_2.5) or ≤10 μm (PM₁₀)) were estimated using random forest models incorporated with satellites data, meteorological data, and land use information. Relative TL of each participant was measured by a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Linear regression models were applied to examine the independent associations between PA, NO₂ or PMs and relative TL. Interaction plots were used to depict the altered associations between NO₂, PM₁, PM_2.5, or PM₁₀ and relative TL along with increasing PA levels.

Results: Each 1 μg/m³ increment in NO₂, PM₁, PM_2.5, or PM₁₀ was associated with a 0.038 (95% confidence intervals (CI): -0.044, -0.033), 0.036 (95% CI: -0.041, -0.031), 0.052 (95% CI: -0.059, -0.045), or 0.022 (95% CI: -0.025, -0.019) decrease in relative TL among all participants; similar findings were observed among normal glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose (IFG) participants as well as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. PA at certain levels counteracted the association of air pollutants (NO₂, PM₁, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀) with relative TL among IFG participants or T2DM patients.

Conclusions: Long-term exposure to NO₂ and PMs was associated with relative TL shortening and these effects may be counteracted by PA at certain levels in IFG participants or T2DM patients.

Keywords: Nitrogen dioxide; Particulate matter; Physical activity; Relative telomere length; Rural population.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / analysis
Asian People
China
Cohort Studies
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2*
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Exercise
Humans
Middle Aged
Nitrogen Dioxide / analysis
Particulate Matter / analysis
Telomere
Young Adult

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter
Nitrogen Dioxide