Toxicological effects of traffic-related air pollution on the lungs: Evidence, biomarkers and intervention

Jiani Xiao; Ping Cheng; Ping Ma; Yang Wu; Feifei Feng; Yufeng Miao; Qihong Deng

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113570

Toxicological effects of traffic-related air pollution on the lungs: Evidence, biomarkers and intervention

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022 Jun 15:238:113570. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113570. Epub 2022 May 2.

Authors

Jiani Xiao¹, Ping Cheng², Ping Ma³, Yang Wu³, Feifei Feng⁴, Yufeng Miao⁵, Qihong Deng⁶

Affiliations

¹ XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China.
² XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou 310051, China.
³ Xianning Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning 437100, China.
⁴ School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
⁵ School of Energy Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 430081, China. Electronic address: yfmiao@csu.edu.cn.
⁶ School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China. Electronic address: qhdeng@zzu.edu.cn.

PMID: 35512471
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113570

Abstract

Background: Numerous epidemiological studies have recently observed that exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is associated with increased risk of various respiratory diseases. Major gaps in knowledge remain regarding the toxicological effects.

Objectives: We examined the toxicological effects of the gasoline exhaust particles (GEP), a paradigm of TRAP, in rats, with an objective to provide the evidence, obtain the biomarkers, and suggest effective intervention measure.

Methods: We measured the airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, histological changes in the lung tissues, and the biomarkers so as to systematically examine the toxicological effects of GEPs at different dose levels (0.5, 2.5, 5 mg/kg BW). The intervention of vitamin E (VE), a natural antioxidant, on the toxicological effects was investigated.

Results: The lung injury caused by GEP exposure was first indicated by the airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Compared with the control group, GEP exposure significantly increased the airway resistances and decreased the lung compliance; the higher the dose of GEP, the more serious the lung injury. Lung injury was also revealed by the increase of inflammatory cells, including the lymphocytes and neutrophils, in the BAL fluid. With the increase of GEP dose, histological changes in the lung tissues were further observed: inflammatory cell infiltration increased and alveolar wall thickened. The toxicology of GEP was demonstrated by the increase of the biomarkers of the oxidative stress, the pro-inflammatory cytokines and the apoptosis cytokine. However, administration of VE was found to be effective in restoring airway injury.

Conclusion: The toxicological effects of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) on rat lungs are supported by evidence and biomarkers, and vitamin E intervention is feasible.

Keywords: Ambient air pollution; Gasoline exhaust particles; Respiratory diseases; Toxicology; Vitamin E.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution*
Animals
Biomarkers
Lung
Lung Injury* / chemically induced
Rats
Vehicle Emissions / toxicity
Vitamin E / pharmacology

Substances

Air Pollutants
Biomarkers
Vehicle Emissions
Vitamin E