Effects of particulate matter from straw burning on lung fibrosis in mice

doi:10.1016/j.etap.2017.10.001

Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology

Volume 56, December 2017, Pages 249-258

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2017.10.001 Get rights and content

Highlights

•
Exposure of Particulate matter 2.5(PM2.5) can aggravate lung injury based on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis of mice.
•
The mechanism related to inflammatory factors induced by PM2.5 exposure.
•
N-acetylcysteine can exert protective role for lung fibrosis mice exposed to PM2.5.

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the impacts of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) from straw burning on the acute exacerbation of lung fibrosis in mice and the preventive effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC).

Methods

The composition, particle size, and 30-min concentration change in an exposure system of the PM2.5 from straw-burning were determined. Forty C57BL male mice were equally randomized to two groups: bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis with an exposure to air (BLM + air) and BLM + PM2.5 groups. On day 7 after receiving intratracheal injection of BLM, mice were exposed to air or PM2.5 in an exposure system for 30 min twice daily and then sacrificed after one-week or four-week exposure (10 mice/group). Mouse survival, lung histopathology, macrophage accumulation in the lung, and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in alveolar lavage fluid (ALF) were determined.

Results

PM2.5 from straw burning were mainly composed of organic matter (74.1%); 10.92% of the inorganic matter of the PM2.5 were chloride ion; 4.64% were potassium ion; other components were sulfate, nitrate, and nitrite. Particle size was 10nm–2 μm. Histopathology revealed a greater extent of inflammatory cell infiltration in the lung, widened alveolar septum, and lung fibrosis in the BLM + PM2.5 group than in the BLM + air group and a greater extent of those adverse effects after four-week than after one-week exposure to PM2.5. The BLM + PM2.5 group also showed macrophages containing particular matter and increased pulmonary collagen deposition as the exposure to PM2.5 increased. Interleukin (IL)-6 and TNF-α levels in ALF were significantly higher in the BLM + PM2.5 group than in the BLM + air group (P < 0.05) and significantly higher after four-week exposure than after one-week exposure to PM2.5 (P < 0.05). TGF-β levels in ALF after four-week exposure were significantly higher in the BLM + PM2.5 group than in the BLM + air group (P < 0.05). The levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β in peripheral serum were not significantly different in the BLM + PM2.5 and BLM + air groups. Lung hydroxyproline contents increased as the exposure to PM2.5 increased and were significantly higher after four-week than after one-week exposure (P = 0.019). Exposure to PM2.5 did not affect the survival of normal mice (100%) but reduced the survival of mice with BLM-induced IPF (30%), whereas NAC extended the survival (70%, vs. BLM + PM2.5, P = 0.032).

Conclusion

Exposure of mice with BLM-induced IPF to PM2.5 from straw burning exacerbated lung inflammation and fibrosis and increased mortality; NAC increased the mouse survival, indicating protective effects.

Section snippets

Background

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), which are fine particles with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 μm, are the main component of atmospheric pollutants (smog). Because of their small diameter, large specific surface area, complex chemical composition, and their capability to easily enrich toxic and harmful substances, PM2.5 can reach the respiratory fine bronchi and alveolar cavity after entering the respiratory track, harming human healthy at substantially greater extent than particulate

Preparation of PM2.5 pollutants and the exposure system

Smoke generated from rice straw burning was used as the source of PM2.5 pollutants. Rice straw was cut into 5 cm-length small pieces, washed, and dried at 80 °C in an oven for 4 h. The dried rice straw was aliquoted into 5 g per sealed bag. The whole body inhalation exposure system (Tianjin Hope Industry & Trade Co., Ltd, HOPE-MED8050 exposure controlling system) has a volume of 0.3 m³ and allows to expose a maximum of 20 mice simultaneously. The exposure temperature was 25 °C; the relative humidity

Components of the smoke from straw burning and particle size determination

PM2.5 from straw burning were mainly composed of organic matter (74.1%); 30% of the organic matter were polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; 10% were l-glucose and mannose-oligosaccharides. Fig. 2A shows that the orange area (1.59%) represents carbon (Inorganic particles contained small amounts of hydrogen and sulfur) and the green area represents inorganic matter. Inorganic matter were mainly chloride ion. Other components are displayed in Fig. 2B TEM revealed that the particle size was smaller

Discussion

A previous epidemiological study has demonstrated that environmental pollutants, in particular particulate matter (PM) in the air, can lead to acute and chronic lung diseases in China (Qiu et al., 2012). The current study exposed mice with BLM-induced IPF (Wei et al., 2016) to PM2.5 generated from the smoke of straw burning to investigate the effects of exposure to air PM2.5 on IPF progression in patients.

PM generated from straw burning are the key source of atmosphere PM. The PM are mainly

Conclusion

Exposure of mice with BLM-induced IPF to PM2.5 from straw burning exacerbated lung inflammation and fibrosis and increased mouse mortality. NAC extended the survival of IPF mice exposed to PM2.5 and showed some protective effects.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The protocol for handling mice has been approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital of Tongji University School of Medicine (Approval No. SYXK [SH] 2012-0031).

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Availability of data and material

Please contact author for data requests.

Competing interests

The authors declared that they have no competing interests.

Authors’ contributions

Experimental design: H.P.L., Y.H., L.S.W., Y.L. Q.H.L and D.W.; Data acquisition and analysis: Y.H., L.S.W., Y.L., Q.H.L. C.L.L., J.M.C., D.W., and H.P.L.; Writing the manuscript: Y.H., L.S.W., Y.L., Q.H.L., D.W., and H.P.L. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

Supported by grants from the National Science Foundation of China (No: 81730002, 81670055, 81670056, 91442103, 81500052 and 81570057), Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (2016YFC1100200, 2016YFC1100204), the Health Bureau Program of Shanghai Municipality (SHDC12014120), Grant from Shanghai Hospital Development Center(16CR3054A), Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Familiy Planning (201640157) and Tongji University(1511219020).

Acknowledgements

Not applicable.

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¹: These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Research PaperEffects of particulate matter from straw burning on lung fibrosis in mice

Highlights

Abstract

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Section snippets

Background

Preparation of PM2.5 pollutants and the exposure system

Components of the smoke from straw burning and particle size determination

Discussion

Conclusion

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Consent for publication

Availability of data and material

Competing interests

Authors’ contributions

Funding

Acknowledgements

Environ. Toxicol. Pharmacol.

J. Environ. Sci. (China)

Lancet

J. Environ. Sci. (China)

Environ. Pollut.

NAD(P)H oxidase 4 mediates transforming growth factor-beta1-induced differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts into myofibroblasts

Circ. Res.

The effects of erdosteine and N-acetylcysteine on apoptotic and antiapoptotic markers in pulmonary epithelial cells in sepsis

Eur. J. Med.

Early life exposure to air pollution induces adult cardiac dysfunction

Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.

Effect of ambient air pollution on pulmonary exacerbations and lung function in cystic fibrosis

Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.

Air pollution and airway disease

Clin. Exp. Allergy

Research Paper
Effects of particulate matter from straw burning on lung fibrosis in mice