Alveolar Type II Cell Damage and Nrf2-SOD1 Pathway Downregulation Are Involved in PM 2.5 -Induced Lung Injury in Rats

Rui Niu, Jie Cheng, Jian Sun, Fan Li, Huanle Fang, Ronghui Lei, Zhenxing Shen, Hao Hu () and Jianjun Li ()
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Rui Niu: Medical College, Xi’an Peihua University, Xi’an 710061, China
Jie Cheng: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Jian Sun: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Fan Li: Basic Medical Experiment Teaching Center, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Huanle Fang: Medical College, Xi’an Peihua University, Xi’an 710061, China
Ronghui Lei: School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Zhenxing Shen: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Hao Hu: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
Jianjun Li: Key Lab of Aerosol Chemistry & Physics, SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710061, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: The general toxicity of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) has been intensively studied, but its pulmonary toxicities are still not fully understood. To investigate the changes of lung tissue after PM 2.5 exposure and identify the potential mechanisms of pulmonary toxicity, PM 2.5 samples were firstly collected and analyzed. Next, different doses of PM 2.5 samples (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg) were intratracheally instilled into rats to simulate lung inhalation of polluted air. After instillation for eight weeks, morphological alterations of the lung were examined, and the levels of oxidative stress were detected. The data indicated that the major contributors to PM 2.5 mass were organic carbon, elemental carbon, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium. Different concentrations of PM 2.5 could trigger oxidative stress through increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels, and decreasing expression of antioxidant-related proteins (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and catalase). Histochemical staining and transmission electron microscopy displayed pulmonary inflammation, collagen deposition, mitochondrial swelling, and a decreasing number of multilamellar bodies in alveolar type II cells after PM 2.5 exposure, which was related to PM 2.5 -induced oxidative stress. These results provide a basis for a better understanding of pulmonary impairment in response to PM 2.5 .

Keywords: PM 2.5; PM 2.5 constituents; lung injury; oxidative stress; alveolar type II cells (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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