Impact of pregnant mice exposure to ultrafine airborne particles on offspring asthma susceptibility 9196

Description Background Particulate air pollution is a major threat to human health. Exposure to fine particles is responsible for around seven million premature deaths a year. Ultrafine particles (UFP) have an aerodynamic diameter of less than 0.1µm and are potentially the most dangerous to health, as they have a higher surface reactivity and the ability to penetrate more deeply into the respiratory tract. Although epidemiological studies show an association between particulate pollution and the development and/or exacerbation of asthma, it remains to be established whether exposure to ultrafine particles in utero increases the risk of asthma in children. Methods C57BL/6 pregnant mice were exposed to environmentally collected ultrafine particles 3 times a week throughout gestation. Male and female offspring were then sensitized to the mite allergen (HDM) at D0 and challenged daily by intranasal (i.n.) route from D10 to D14. Forty-eight hours after the last i.n., lung function, inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage and pulmonary cytokines were analyzed. Results & Conclusion The data show that maternal exposure to PUF increases eosinophil levels, IL-4 and IL-13 expression in female offspring exposed to HDM, but not in males. These data suggest that pollution has a gender-differentiated effect.