Abstract Objective To investigate whether exposure to NP in dams during perinatal period causes airway inflammation in pups, and whether NP affects airway inflammation in OVA-induced asthmatic pups. Methods Dams were randomly divided into 5 groups (negative control group, 25 mg/kg NP group, 50 mg/kg NP group, 100 mg/kg NP group and 30 μg/kg E2 group), with the everyday gavage of the volume 5 ml/kg/d from the 7th day of pregnancy to 21st days after the birth of the pups. Results In the 100 mg/kg NP group: the respiratory rhythm was slightly faster; the lung tissue was slightly looser; the bronchial smooth muscle layer was slightly thickened with inflammatory cell infiltration; the osmiophilic multilamellar body of the type II epithelial cells was partially emptied; and lymphocytes and neutrophils were the main cells in Balf; the relative expression of HMGB1, NF-κB genes and proteins in lung tissue of 100 mg/kg NP group was significantly higher than that in the control group. The expression level of TGF-β1 mRNA in the lung tissue of 100 mg/kg NP group was lower than that in the 30 μg/kg E2 group. NP concentration in the lung tissue of pups was positively correlated with expression levels of HMGB1, NF-κB genes and protein. 2) In the OVA group: the levels of IL-4 in Balf supernatant and OVA-sIgE in serum were significantly higher, while the level of IFN-γ in Balf supernatant was significantly lower. 3) In the 100 mg/kg NP+OVA group: the rubbing frequency of the head and upper body in the glass atomizing box significantly increased; the lung tissue was significantly looser; the NP concentration was significantly higher; the bronchial smooth muscle layer was significantly thickened and the inflammatory cell exudation significantly increased in the lumen; the mitochondria in type II epithelial cells was significantly swelling; the relative expression of HMGB1, NF-κB genes and proteins in lung tissue showed an increasing trend. The expression level of ER-βproteins in the lung tissue of 30 μg/kg E2+OVA group was significantly higher than that in 100 mg/kg NP+OVA group. NP concentration in the lung tissue of asthmatic pups was positively correlated with HMGB1 protein expression. Conclusion 1) Dams exposed to 100 mg/kg NP might aggravate airway inflammation in pups. 2) Dams exposed to 25 mg/kg NP can reduce airway inflammation in OVA-induced asthmatic pups; however, dams exposed to 100 mg/kg NP aggravate the degree of airway inflammation. This abstract is funded by: National Natural Science Foundation of China (22266039, 22166035)
Yu et al. (Fri,) studied this question.