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Cubello J, Marvin E, Conrad K, Merrill AK, George JV, Welle K, Jackson BP, Chalupa D, Oberdörster G, Sobolewski M, Cory-Slechta DA. The contributions of neonatal inhalation of copper to air pollution-induced neurodevelopmental outcomes in mice. Neurotoxicology 2024; 100:55-71. [PMID: 38081392 PMCID: PMC10842733 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Exposures to ambient ultrafine particle (UFP) air pollution (AP) during the early postnatal period in mice (equivalent to human third trimester brain development) produce male-biased changes in brain structure, including ventriculomegaly, reduced brain myelination, alterations in neurotransmitters and glial activation, as well as impulsive-like behavioral characteristics, all of which are also features characteristic of male-biased neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent to which inhaled Cu, a common contaminant of AP that is also dysregulated across multiple NDDs, might contribute to these phenotypes. For this purpose, C57BL/6J mice were exposed from postnatal days 4-7 and 10-13 for 4 hr/day to inhaled copper oxide (CuxOy) nanoparticles at an environmentally relevant concentration averaging 171.9 ng/m3. Changes in brain metal homeostasis and neurotransmitter levels were determined following termination of exposure (postnatal day 14), while behavioral changes were assessed in adulthood. CuxOy inhalation modified cortical metal homeostasis and produced male-biased disruption of striatal neurotransmitters, with marked increases in dopaminergic function, as well as excitatory/inhibitory imbalance and reductions in serotonergic function. Impulsive-like behaviors in a fixed ratio (FR) waiting-for-reward schedule and a fixed interval (FI) schedule of food reward occurred in both sexes, but more prominently in males, effects which could not be attributed to altered locomotor activity or short-term memory. Inhaled Cu as from AP exposures, at environmentally relevant levels experienced during development, may contribute to impaired brain function, as shown by its ability to disrupt brain metal homeostasis and striatal neurotransmission. In addition, its ability to evoke impulsive-like behavior, particularly in male offspring, may be related to striatal dopaminergic dysfunction that is known to mediate such behaviors. As such, regulation of air Cu levels may be protective of public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Cubello
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
| | - Elena Marvin
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Katherine Conrad
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Alyssa K Merrill
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jithin V George
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Kevin Welle
- Proteomics Core, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - David Chalupa
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Günter Oberdörster
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Marissa Sobolewski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Deborah A Cory-Slechta
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
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Neurotoxic effects of air pollution: an urgent public health concern. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:129-130. [PMID: 36609504 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00672-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Abstract
Air pollution is a complex mixture of gases and particulate matter, with adsorbed organic and inorganic contaminants, to which exposure is lifelong. Epidemiological studies increasingly associate air pollution with multiple neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, findings supported by experimental animal models. This breadth of neurotoxicity across these central nervous system diseases and disorders likely reflects shared vulnerability of their inflammatory and oxidative stress-based mechanisms and a corresponding ability to produce brain metal dyshomeo-stasis. Future research to define the responsible contaminants of air pollution underlying this neurotoxicity is critical to understanding mechanisms of these diseases and disorders and protecting public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Cory-Slechta
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA;
| | - Alyssa Merrill
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA;
| | - Marissa Sobolewski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA;
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Eckard ML, Marvin E, Conrad K, Oberdörster G, Sobolewski M, Cory-Slechta DA. Neonatal exposure to ultrafine iron but not combined iron and sulfur aerosols recapitulates air pollution-induced impulsivity in mice. Neurotoxicology 2023; 94:191-205. [PMID: 36509212 PMCID: PMC9839645 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Air pollution (AP) is becoming recognized as a major threat to neurological health across the lifespan with increased risk of both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. AP is a complex mixture of gases and particulate matter, with adsorbed contaminants including metals and trace elements, which may differentially contribute to its neurodevelopmental impacts. Iron (Fe) is one of the most abundant metals found in AP, and Fe concentrations may drive some behavioral deficits observed in children. Furthermore, brains of neonate mice exposed to concentrated ambient ultrafine particulate matter (UFP) show significant brain accumulation of Fe and sulfur (S) supporting the hypothesis that AP exposure may lead to brain metal dyshomeostasis. The current study determined the extent to which behavioral effects of UFP, namely memory deficits and impulsive-like behavior, could be recapitulated with exposure to Fe aerosols with or without concomitant SO2. Male and female neonate mice were either exposed to filtered air or spark discharge-generated ultrafine Fe particles with or without SO2 gas (n = 12/exposure/sex). Inhalation exposures occurred from postnatal day (PND) 4-7 and 10-13 for 4 hr/day, mirroring our previous UFP exposures. Mice were aged to adulthood prior to behavioral testing. While Fe or Fe + SO2 exposure did not affect gross locomotor behavior, Fe + SO2-exposed females displayed consistent thigmotaxis during locomotor testing. Neither exposure affected novel object memory. Fe or Fe + SO2 exposure produced differential outcomes on a fixed-interval reinforcement schedule with males showing higher (Fe-only) or lower (Fe + SO2) response rates and postreinforcement pauses (PRP) and females showing higher (Fe-only) PRP. Lastly, Fe-exposed, but not Fe + SO2-exposed, males showed increased impulsive-like behavior in tasks requiring response inhibition with no such effects in female mice. These findings suggest that: 1) exposure to realistic concentrations of Fe aerosols can recapitulate behavioral effects of UFP exposure, 2) the presence of SO2 can modulate behavioral effects of Fe inhalation, and 3) brain metal dyshomeostasis may be an important factor in AP neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Eckard
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA; Department of Psychology, Radford University, Radford, VA, USA.
| | - E Marvin
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - K Conrad
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - G Oberdörster
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - M Sobolewski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - D A Cory-Slechta
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
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Sobolewski M, Conrad K, Marvin E, Eckard M, Goeke CM, Merrill AK, Welle K, Jackson BP, Gelein R, Chalupa D, Oberdörster G, Cory-Slechta DA. The potential involvement of inhaled iron (Fe) in the neurotoxic effects of ultrafine particulate matter air pollution exposure on brain development in mice. Part Fibre Toxicol 2022; 19:56. [PMID: 35945578 PMCID: PMC9364598 DOI: 10.1186/s12989-022-00496-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in epidemiological studies. In our studies in mice, developmental exposures to ambient ultrafine particulate (UFP) matter either postnatally or gestationally results in neurotoxic consequences that include brain metal dyshomeostasis, including significant increases in brain Fe. Since Fe is redox active and neurotoxic to brain in excess, this study examined the extent to which postnatal Fe inhalation exposure, might contribute to the observed neurotoxicity of UFPs. Mice were exposed to 1 µg/m3 Fe oxide nanoparticles alone, or in conjunction with sulfur dioxide (Fe (1 µg/m3) + SO2 (SO2 at 1.31 mg/m3, 500 ppb) from postnatal days 4-7 and 10-13 for 4 h/day. RESULTS Overarching results included the observations that Fe + SO2 produced greater neurotoxicity than did Fe alone, that females appeared to show greater vulnerability to these exposures than did males, and that profiles of effects differed by sex. Consistent with metal dyshomeostasis, both Fe only and Fe + SO2 exposures altered correlations of Fe and of sulfur (S) with other metals in a sex and tissue-specific manner. Specifically, altered metal levels in lung, but particularly in frontal cortex were found, with reductions produced by Fe in females, but increases produced by Fe + SO2 in males. At PND14, marked changes in brain frontal cortex and striatal neurotransmitter systems were observed, particularly in response to combined Fe + SO2 as compared to Fe only, in glutamatergic and dopaminergic functions that were of opposite directions by sex. Changes in markers of trans-sulfuration in frontal cortex likewise differed in females as compared to males. Residual neurotransmitter changes were limited at PND60. Increases in serum glutathione and Il-1a were female-specific effects of combined Fe + SO2. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these findings suggest a role for the Fe contamination in air pollution in the observed neurotoxicity of ambient UFPs and that such involvement may be different by chemical mixture. Translation of such results to humans requires verification, and, if found, would suggest a need for regulation of Fe in air for public health protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Sobolewski
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Katherine Conrad
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Elena Marvin
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Matthew Eckard
- grid.262333.50000000098205004Department of Psychology, Radford University, Radford, VA 24142 USA
| | - Calla M. Goeke
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Alyssa K. Merrill
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Kevin Welle
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Proteomics Core, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Brian P. Jackson
- grid.254880.30000 0001 2179 2404Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Robert Gelein
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - David Chalupa
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Günter Oberdörster
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Deborah A. Cory-Slechta
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
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Castagna A, Mascheroni E, Fustinoni S, Montirosso R. Air pollution and neurodevelopmental skills in preschool- and school-aged children: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 136:104623. [PMID: 35331818 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Early life exposure to air pollution has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Emerging evidence are highlighting a possible impact of air pollution on typically developing children. Thirty papers were included in this review to systematically evaluate the association between air pollutants exposure in prenatal and/or postnatal periods and specific neurodevelopmental skills (i.e. intellective functioning, memory and learning, attention and executive functions, verbal language, numeric ability and motor and/or sensorimotor functions) in preschool- and school-age children. Detrimental effects of air pollutants on children's neurodevelopmental skills were observed, although they do not show clinically relevant performance deficits. The most affected domains were global intellective functioning and attention/executive functions. The pollutants that seem to represent the greatest risk are PM2.5, NO₂ and PAHs. Prenatal exposure is primarily associated with child neurodevelopment at pre-school and school ages. Early exposure to air pollutants is related to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in the general population of children. Further research is needed to support stronger conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Castagna
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Eleonora Mascheroni
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Silvia Fustinoni
- EPIGET - Epidemiology, Epigenetics, and Toxicology Lab, Department of Clinical Sciences and Com-munity Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy; Environmental and Industrial Toxicology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Rosario Montirosso
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
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Liu N, Li Y, Liu L, Liu X, Yin Y, Qu G, Shi J, Song M, He B, Hu L, Jiang G. Administration of Silver Nasal Spray Leads to Nanoparticle Accumulation in Rat Brain Tissues. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:403-413. [PMID: 34923819 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c02532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The use of commercial products containing engineered nanomaterials in realistic scenarios may lead to the accumulation of exogenous particles in brain tissues. In this study, we simulated the use of silver (Ag) nasal spray in humans using Sprague-Dawley rats at 0.04 mg/kg/day. Silver-containing particles were explicitly identified in the rat brain after the administration of nasal sprays containing colloidal Ag or silver ions (Ag+) for 2 weeks using multiple methods. The accumulation of Ag-containing particles showed a delayed effect in different brain regions of the rats, with the mass concentration of particles increasing continuously for 1-2 weeks after the termination of administration. The size of the observed Ag-containing particles extracted from the brain tissues ranged from 18.3 to 120.4 nm. Further characterization by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy showed that the nanoparticles comprised both Ag and sulfur (S), with Ag/S atomic ratios of 1.1-7.1, suggesting that Ag-containing particles went through a series of transformations prior to or during their accumulation in the brain. Collectively, these findings provide evidence for the accumulation and transformation of Ag-containing particles in the rat brain, indicating a realistic risk to brain health resulting from the application of Ag-containing commercial products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lihong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaolei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yongguang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guangbo Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jianbo Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Maoyong Song
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bin He
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ligang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Guibin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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The Role of Fossil Fuel Combustion Metals in PM2.5 Air Pollution Health Associations. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12091086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we elucidate the central role played by fossil fuel combustion in the health-related effects that have been associated with inhalation of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We especially focus on individual properties and concentrations of metals commonly found in PM air pollution, as well as their sources and their adverse health effects, based on both epidemiologic and toxicological evidence. It is known that transition metals, such as Ni, V, Fe, and Cu, are highly capable of participating in redox reactions that produce oxidative stress. Therefore, particles that are enriched, per unit mass, in these metals, such as those from fossil fuel combustion, can have greater potential to produce health effects than other ambient particulate matter. Moreover, fossil fuel combustion particles also contain varying amounts of sulfur, and the acidic nature of the resulting sulfur compounds in particulate matter (e.g., as ammonium sulfate, ammonium bisulfate, or sulfuric acid) makes transition metals in particles more bioavailable, greatly enhancing the potential of fossil fuel combustion PM2.5 to cause oxidative stress and systemic health effects in the human body. In general, there is a need to further recognize particulate matter air pollution mass as a complex source-driven mixture, in order to more effectively quantify and regulate particle air pollution exposure health risks.
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