Ambient temperature exposure causes lung function impairment: The evidence from Controlled Temperature Study in Healthy Subjects (CTSHS)

Associations of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter and its constituents with small for gestational age risk: A twin study in China

This study aimed to examine the impact of PM2.5 and its constituents on small for gestational age (SGA). We collected records of 8082 twin pairs and their mothers from 21 hospitals across China. Concentrations of PM2.5 and its constituents were from the Tracking Air Pollution dataset. Generalized linear models were utilized in this observational study to explore the relationship between SGA and PM2.5. An increase in PM2.5 by one interquartile range during pregnancy was linked to a 17 % increased SGA risk (OR = 1.17, 95 % CI: 1.05-1.31), with a population attributable fraction of 18.97 % (95 %CI: 5.65 %, 30.93 %). Additionally, higher risk of SGA was associated with exposure to ammonium (OR=1.17, 95 %CI: 1.03-1.34), sulfate (OR=1.10, 95 %CI: 1.01-1.21), nitrate (OR=1.16, 95 %CI: 1.02-1.33), black carbon (OR=1.09, 95 %CI: 1.00-1.19), and organic matter (OR=1.11, 95 %CI: 1.00-1.23) during pregnancy. Similar associations were observed for SGA with PM2.5 and its constituents in late pregnancy (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, individuals conceived via assisted reproduction (OR = 1.22, 95 % CI: 1.03-1.43), with pregnancy complications (OR = 1.23, 95 % CI: 1.07-1.41), and residing in colder areas (OR = 1.20, 95 % CI: 1.02-1.40) shown more susceptible to PM2.5. Our findings provide evidence that maternal PM2.5 exposure increased SGA risk, especially during the late pregnancy.

A molecular toxicological study to explore potential health risks associated with ultrafine particle exposure in cold and humid indoor environments

Environmental pollutants including ultrafine particulate matter (UFPs) and adverse meteorological conditions pose significant public health impacts, particularly affecting respiratory health. This study aims to elucidate the synergistic effects of cold-humid conditions and UFPs exposure on respiratory health, utilizing Carbon Black Nanoparticles (CB-NPs) as surrogates for UFPs. Through comprehensive lung function tests, histopathological examinations, and biomarker analyses, this research focuses on the modulation of oxidative stress signaling pathways and NF-κB activation. Male Balb/c mice were exposed to specific concentrations of CB-NPs (30-50 nm in diameter, 0.184 mg/(kg·day)) in a controlled environmental chamber mimicking cold (10°C/14°C) and humid (90 % RH) conditions over three weeks. The results indicate that exposure to CB-NPs alone increased lung function, oxidative stress (ROS, GSH, MDA), inflammation (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β), apoptosis (Caspase 3, Caspase 8, Caspase 9), and histopathological alterations in lung tissue. Furthermore, these effects were notably more severe under combined exposure with cold-humid conditions. These results suggest that the adverse effects of pollutants are not solely concentration-dependent but are exacerbated by specific environmental contexts. It is evident that Vitamin E (100 mg/kg/day) can attenuate these adverse effects, underscoring its potential as a protective agent against environmental stressor-induced air pollutants and cold humid conditions. Our findings suggest that the synergistic effects of environmental factors and pollutant exposure significantly impact respiratory health, providing valuable insights for the design of healthier indoor environments and the development of strategies to mitigate these risks.

Prenatal exposure to elevated ambient temperature may cause bronchopulmonary dysplasia: Evidence from twin pairs across China

Exposure to high ambient temperature (TM) may affect lung development, but the association of prenatal TM exposure with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is unclear. We explored the impact of prenatal TM exposure on BPD, and identify the critical exposure windows. Individual information of participants was collected from 21 hospitals across China. Daily TM and PM2.5 were obtained from ERA-5 reanalysis, and the Tracking Air Pollution in China, respectively. BPD was diagnosis based on the 2001 criteria set by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Generalized linear model (GLM) was used to explored the impact of TM exposure on BPD during entire pregnancy. Distributed lag non-linear model was utilized to assess the week-specific association between maternal TM exposure and BPD. The study included 8343 twin pairs, among whom 363 (4.35 %) twin pairs were classified as BPD cases. Compared with the reference TM (14.2 °C), exposures to the 75th (22.5 °C) and 95th (24.9 °C) centile of TM were associated with higher BPD risks during the entire pregnancy, with OR = 2.02 (95 % CI: 1.56-2.61) and OR = 2.27 (95 % CI: 1.17-4.40), respectively. In week-specific analyses, compared with the reference TM (14.2 °C) with minimum BPD risk in GLM during the entire pregnancy, exposures to the 75th (22.5 °C) and 95th (24.9 °C) centile of TM during the 1st to 3rd, and 17th to 23rd gestational weeks were positively associated with BPD, with the highest associations in the 20th (HR = 1.25, 95 % CI: 1.12, 1.39) and 1st (HR = 1.32, 95 % CI: 1.11, 1.58) gestational week, respectively. Moreover, effects of high TM on BPD were more pronounced in participants with pregnancy complications and rural residents. Prenatal exposure to elevated TM was associated with higher BPD risk in twins, especially during the early and middle pregnancy periods, and in participants with pregnancy complications and rural residents.

Associations between vitamin A and K intake and lung function in the general US population: evidence from NHANES 2007-2012

Introduction

While nutrition's critical role in enhancing respiratory health is acknowledged, the specific impacts of vitamins A and K on lung function remain largely unexplored. The study aimed to evaluate the relationships between vitamins A and K intake and lung function.

Methods

The cross-sectional study focused on adults aged 20-79 with utilizing data from US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2012. Lung function was assessed by measuring forced expiratory volume (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and the ratio of these two values (FEV1/FVC). Regression model was performed to determine the associations between intake of vitamins A and K and outcomes.

Results

Data of 10,034 participants (representing 142,965,892 adults in the US) were analyzed. After adjusting for relevant confounders, multivariable analysis revealed 1 μg/day increase of vitamin A intake was significantly associated with 0.03 ml increased FEV1 (p = 0.004) and 0.04 ml increased forced vital capacity (FVC) (p < 0.001). In addition, 1 μg/day increase in vitamin K intake was significantly associated with 0.11 ml increased FEV1 (p = 0.022). Neither vitamin A and K intake was associated with FEV1/FVC or presence of airway obstruction.

Conclusions

In relatively healthy population of the US, greater vitamin A or K intake was independently associated with better lung function assessed by spirometry. Benefits of such vitamins for pulmonary health should be confirmed in future randomized controlled trials.

Associations of short-term ambient temperature exposure with lung function in middle-aged and elderly people: A longitudinal study in China

The short-term associations of ambient temperature exposure with lung function in middle-aged and elderly Chinese remain obscure. The study included 19,128 participants from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort's first (2013) and second (2018) follow-ups. The lung function for each subject was determined between April and December 2013 and re-assessed in 2018, with three parameters (forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1], and peak expiratory flow [PEF]) selected. The China Meteorological Data Sharing Service Center provided temperature data during the study period. In the two follow-ups, a total of 25,511 records (average age: first, 64.57; second, 65.80) were evaluated, including 10,604 males (41.57%). The inversely J-shaped associations between moving average temperatures (lag01-lag07) and FVC, FEV1, and PEF were observed, and the optimum temperatures at lag04 were 16.5 °C, 18.7 °C, and 16.2 °C, respectively. At lag04, every 1 °C increase in temperature was associated with 14.07 mL, 9.78 mL, and 62.72 mL/s increase in FVC, FEV1, and PEF in the low-temperature zone ( Collapse

Key Words

• Ambient temperature
• Generalized additive mixed model
• Linear mixed-effects model
• Lung function
• Middle-aged and elderly people
• Vulnerable groups

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Affiliation(s)

Weihong Qiu Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
Bin Wang Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Xiaobing Feng Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Heng He Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
Lieyang Fan Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Zi Ye Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Xiuquan Nie Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Ge Mu Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Wei Liu Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Dongming Wang Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Min Zhou Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Weihong Chen Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China

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Low ambient temperature exposure increases the risk of ischemic stroke by promoting platelet activation

BACKGROUND

Accumulating epidemiological evidence suggests the association between low ambient temperature exposure and the risk of ischemic stroke, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

Given the crucial role of platelet activation and thrombosis in ischemic stroke, this study aims to investigate the effect of ambient temperature on platelet activation through multi-center clinical data in Tianjin as well as animal experiments.

METHODS

From 2018 to 2020, nearly 3000 ischemic stroke patients from three stroke centers in Tianjin were included in the analysis, among them the ADP induced platelet aggregation rate was available. Meteorological data from the same period had also been collected. After controlling for confounding factors, the generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) was used to evaluate the correlation between environmental temperature and platelet aggregation rate. In further animal experiments, platelet function assessments were conducted on mice from the cold exposure group and the normal temperature group, including platelet aggregation, spreading, and clot retraction. Additionally, tail bleeding and mesentery thrombosis were also tested to monitor hemostasis and thrombosis in vivo.

RESULT

A nonlinear "S" shaped relationship between outdoor temperature and platelet aggregation was found. Each 1 °C decrease of mean temperature was associated with an increase of 7.77 % (95 % CI: 2.06 % - 13.48 %) in platelet aggregation. The ambient temperature is not related to other platelet parameters. Subgroup analysis found that males, people aged ≥65 years, and hypertensive individuals are more susceptible to temperature changes. Furthermore, animal experiments demonstrated that the increased CIRBP levels and subsequent activation of p-AKT/p-ERK may be one of the reasons for cold exposure induced platelets activation.

CONCLUSION

Both clinical data and basic research support that low ambient temperature exposure has the potential to increase platelet activation. These results provide a basis for understanding the potential mechanism of temperature variations on the pathogenesis of cerebrovascular diseases.