Same pollution sources for climate change might be hyperactivating the NLRP3 inflammasome and exacerbating neuroinflammation and SARS mortality

Med Hypotheses. 2021 Jan:146:110396. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110396. Epub 2020 Nov 17.

Abstract

We have reviewed a considerable amount of recent scientific papers relating inflammation caused by air pollution with chronic and severe medical conditions. Furthermore, there are evidences relating organ inflammation caused by not only outdoor long-term but also short-term inhaled radioisotopes contained in high polluted air or in household natural radioactive background aerosols, in addition to SARS-COV-2 attached to bioaerosols, which are related with a worst evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome patients. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production induced by the interaction with environmental ionizing radiation contained in pollution is pointed out as a critical mechanism that predispose mainly to elder population, but not excluding young subjects, presenting previous chronic conditions of lung inflammation or neuroinflammation, which can lead to the most serious consequences.

Keywords: ARDS; Alzheimer’s disease; COVID-19; NLRP3 inflammasome; Pollution; Radioactivity.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols
  • Air Microbiology
  • Air Pollution, Radioactive / adverse effects*
  • COVID-19 / etiology*
  • COVID-19 / mortality
  • Causality
  • Climate Change*
  • Humans
  • Inflammasomes / metabolism
  • Inflammasomes / radiation effects
  • Inflammation / etiology*
  • Models, Biological
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein / metabolism*
  • Nervous System Diseases / etiology
  • Pandemics
  • Particle Size
  • Particulate Matter / adverse effects
  • Pneumonia / etiology
  • SARS-CoV-2 / pathogenicity*

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • Inflammasomes
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
  • NLRP3 protein, human
  • Particulate Matter