Analysis on respiratory health effects and economic losses of particulate matter Pollution in Wuhan / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To evaluate the impact of particulate matter (PM) pollution on the hospitalization for respiratory diseases (RD), to estimate the avoidable economic loss by reducing the level of PM pollution, and to provide a basis for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of air pollution control. Methods The data of RD inpatients in two class-A tertiary hospitals in Wuhan from 2015 to 2019, PM concentration and meteorological data in Wuhan in the same period were collected. The generalized additive model (GAM) was used to estimate the impact of PM on the number of RD inpatients, and the cost of illness approach (COI) was used to estimate the avoidable economic loss caused by the reduction of PM concentration. Results PM pollution caused an increase in the number of RD inpatients. Each 10 g/m3 increase in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations resulted in an increase of 1.71% and 0.71% in the number of RD inpatients, respectively. Among them, men and children aged 0-14 years were more affected. For every 10 g/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration, the number of hospitalized men and children aged 0-14 years increased by 1.97% and 2.65%, respectively. For every 10 g/m3 increase in PM10 concentration, the number of hospitalized men and children aged 0-14 years increased by 0.87% and 0.88%, respectively. PM pollution caused 63 300 hospitalizations and 1.214 billion yuan of economic losses in 2015-2019,Wuhan. If the PM concentration is reduced to the recommended value of the World Health Organization in the same period, 194 million yuan of economic loss and 10100 hospitalizations could be avoided every year in Wuhan. Conclusion PM exposure can lead to heavy disease burden and economic loss. Taking effective measures to control PM concentration will bring great economic benefits.

Research progress on adverse effects of fine particulate matter constituent exposure on ischemic heart disease / 公共卫生与预防医学

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a mixture consisting of a wide range of chemical constituents including carbonaceous aerosols, water soluble ions and inorganic elements, and has become the major air pollutant in most cities in China. Evidence suggests that exposure to ambient PM2.5 induces damage on the cardiovascular system and can increase risk of the development and mortality of ischemic heart diseases (IHD). However, the effects of exposure to specific PM2.5 constituents on IHD remain unclear, and its underlying mechanisms are yet to be investigated. Here we reviewed studies investigating the association of short- and long-term exposure to specific PM2.5 constituents with IHD, which may provide useful clues for future relevant studies.

Curcumin Attenuates Uterine Injury Induced by Short-term PM2 5 Exposure in Rats by Inhibiting Apoptosis Signal Regulating Kinase 1 / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Fine particulate matter (PM2 5) with diameters of less than 2.5 |xm can lead to many diseases in human.According to the results of epidemiological studies, PM25 can injury human reproductive system, hut the mechanism of reproductive injury is rarely reported.This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of curcumin (CRC) on short-term exposure to PM2 5-induced rat uterine injury.Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group, P.\l2 5 exposure group, PM15 +CRC-L group, PM2 5+CRC-H group and PM2 5 + VE group, which all were administered for 30 days.After a short-term exposure, PM2 s induced atrophy of endometrial epithelial cells and structural damage of endometrial glands and stromal cells.At the same time, these conditions were improved after administered with curcumin and VE.The results of TUNEL detection showed that the cell apoptosis rate (48.81 ±8.27)% in PM2 s exposure group was significantly higher than that in control group (P5+CRC-H group (P<0.05).Compared to control group, the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were significantly higher (P< 0.05) and the level of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was significantly lower (P<0.05) in PM15 exposure group.However, curcumin and VE could attenuate PM2 5- induced oxidative stress in rat uterus.CRC and VE inhibited proteins phosphorylation of ASK 1, JNK, p38 and activation of caspase-3 induced by PM25(P<0.05).Moreover, curcumin significantly inhibited the protein expression levels of p-ASKl, p-JNK, p-p38 and cleaved caspase-3 induced by PM25.In conclusion, curcumin attenuates short-term exposure to PIV12 5-induced uterine injury by inhibiting the signal pathway of JNK-p38-caspase-3 mediated by ASK 1.

The effect of PM2.5 on oncogene expression in HBE cells / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective@#To study the effect of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) on oncogene expression in human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells.@*Methods@#HBE cells were selected as the study subjects, and PM2.5 treatment group (10 μg/ml and 50 μg/ml) , negative control group and positive control group (10 μmol/L Cr6+) were set. CCK8 assay was used to test the IC50 value of PM2.5. HBE cells were treated with PM2.5 for 24 h at 10 μg/ml and 50 μg/ml, additionally, cells were treated with blank as negative control, 10 μmol/L Cr6+ as a positive control for 24 h. After the treatment, mRNA expression of oncogenes including c-myc, c-fos, k-ras and p53 were detected by fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR, the protein expression of oncogenes were detected with western blot.@*Results@#The IC50 value of PM2.5 in HBE cells is 70.12 μg/ml. The qRT-PCR data showed that compared with the control group, the expression level of c-myc gene increased by respectively 500.1%、780.7%、305.3% after exposure to 10、50 μg/ml PM2.5 and positive control group; c-fos gene increased respectively 34.0%、76.7%、131.3% after exposure to 10、50 μg/ml PM2.5 and positive control group; k-ras gene increased respectively 50.3%、107.0%、49.7% after exposure to 10、50 μg/ml PM2.5 and positive control group; p53 gene decreased by 28.3%、28.7%、59.7% after exposure to 10、50 μg/ml PM2.5 and positive control group. The western blot results showed that compared with the control group, c-myc protein increased respectively 29.7%、77.3% after exposure to 50 μg/ml PM2.5 and positive control group; c-fos protein increased respectively 200.3%、137.0% after exposure to 50 μg/ml PM2.5 and positive control group; k-ras protein increased respectively 106.3%、130.3%、116.7% after exposure to 10、50 μg/ml PM2.5 and positive control group; p53 protein decreased by 43.7%、53.3%、52.1% after exposure to 10、50 μg/ml PM2.5 and positive control group.@*Conclusion@#PM2.5 could promote the expression of oncogenes in HBE cells, the carcinogenicity of haze might be related to promotion of oncogenes expression induced by PM2.5.

Antagonistic Effects of N-acetylcysteine on Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway Activation, Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Responses in Rats with PM2.5 Induced Lung Injuries / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

Objective To evaluate the antagonistic effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway activation, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in rats with lung injury induced by fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Methods Forty eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: blank control group (C1), water drip control group (C2), PM2.5 exposed group (P), low-dose NAC treated and PM2.5 exposed group (L), middle-dose NAC treated and PM2.5 exposed group (M), and high-dose NAC treated and PM2.5 exposed group (H). PM2.5 suspension (7.5 mg/kg) was administered tracheally once a week for four times. NAC of 125 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg was delivered intragastrically to L, M and H group respectively by gavage (10 ml/kg) for six days before PM2.5 exposure. The histopathological changes and human mucin 5 subtype AC (MUC5AC) content in lung tissue of rats were evaluated. We investigated IL-6 in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), MUC5AC in lung tissue homogenate by ELISA, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) in serum and BALF by spectrophotometry, and the expression of p-ERK1/2, p-JNK1/2 and p-p38 proteins by Western blot. All the measurements were analyzed and compared statistically. Results Lung tissue of rats exposed to PM2.5 showed histological destruction and increased mucus secretion of bronchial epithelial cells. Rats receiving NAC treatment showed less histological destruction and mucus secretion. Of P, L, M and H group, MUC5AC in lung tissue, IL-6 in serum and BALF were higher than controls (C1 and C2) (all P<0.05), with the highest levels found in the P group and a decreasing trend with increase of NAC dose. The activity of GSH-PX in serum and BALF of PM2.5 exposed rats (P, L, M and H) was lower than that of controls (all P<0.05), with higher activities found in NAC treated rats (L, M, and H), and an increasing trend with increase of NAC dose. The expressions of p-ERK1/2, p-JNK1/2 and p-p38 proteins in PM2.5 exposed lung tissue (P, L, M and H) was higher than controls (all P<0.05), with decreased levels and dose dependent downregulation found in NAC treated rats. Conclusion NAC can antagonize major MAPK pathway activation, lung oxidative stress and inflammatory injury induced by PM2.5 in rats.

Atmospheric fine particulate matter causing Alzheimer's disease through olfactory bulb pathway: a review of recent studies / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

With the improvement of quality of life, the life expectancy of residents is generally prolonged, and people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is increasing. Epidemiological and animal experiments have found that atmospheric particulate matter is associated with AD. This article briefly reviews the mechanisms of AD-related oxidative stress damage and neuroinflammation caused by atmospheric fine particulate matter entering the brain via olfactory bulb pathway.

Occupancy Implications On Indoor Air Quality (Iaq) In Selected Primary School Classrooms Around Kuantan, Pahang

@#The effects of children’s exposure on high concentration of airborne pollutants at schools often associated with increased rate of absenteeism, low productivities and learning performances, and development of respiratory problems. Recent studies have found that the presence of occupants in the classroom seems to give major effect towards the elevation of concentration of airborne pollutants in indoors. In order to evaluate and further understand on the significance of occupancy factor on IAQ, this study has been designed to determine and compare the level of selected physical (particulate matter (PM)) and chemical (carbon dioxide (CO2) and temperature) IAQ parameters and biological contaminants via colony forming unit (CFUm-3 ) for bacteria and fungi inside the selected classrooms during occupied and non-occupied period (first objective). The second objective is to describe the possible sources of airborne pollutants inside the classrooms at the selected primary schools around Kuantan, Pahang. Assessments of physical and chemical IAQ were done by using instruments known as DustMate Environmental Dust Detector and VelociCalc® MultiFunction Ventilation Meter 9565.The data were recorded every 30 minutes for 8 hours during schooldays and weekend at the selected sampling point in the classrooms. For microbial sampling, Surface Air System Indoor Air Quality (SAS IAQ) was used to capture the bacteria and fungi. The data obtained were compared with the established standard reference known as the Industrial Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality (2010) constructed by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), Malaysia. This study has found that some of the IAQ parameters in the selected classrooms were exceeding the established standards during occupied period in schooldays compared to non-occupied period during weekend. Findings of this study provide the insights for future research including the site selection of school, arrangement of the classrooms and numbers of students per class.

Atmospheric particulate matter and hospital admission due to lower respiratory tract infection: A case-cross study in Shijiazhuang, China / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To explore the association between atmospheric particulate matter (PM10/PM2.5) levels and hospital admissions due to lower respiratory tract infection in Shijiazhuang. Methods Data of air pollution, meteorologic data, and the data of patients admitted to hospital due to lower respiratory tract infection were retrospectively analyzed. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to analyze correlations between atmospheric particulate matter and meteorologic factors. Data of hospital admission due to lower respiratory tract infection and of atmospheric air pollution levels in Shijiazhuang were obtained, a bidirectional case-crossover design was used to investigate the association between hospital admissions due to lower respiratory tract infection and levels of atmospheric particles. Stratified analyses of exposure based on age, gender, complications and season were performed to evaluate the effect. Results Pearson's correlation analysis showed positive correlations among PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2 and CO. The concentration of all these five pollutants were negatively correlated with O3 and daily mean temperature, while a positive correlation was found between concentrations of the 5 pollutants and daily average temperature and O3. In single-pollutant model, every 10μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and PM10 at lag5 brought the corresponding OR values (95%CI) up to 1.010(1.005-1.015) and 1.006(1.003-1.009) respectively. In the multi-pollutant models, the observed effects of PM2.5 remained significant. Stratified analysis based on gender, age, season and comorbidities showed that the effect of PM2.5 exposure on lower respiratory tract infection admissions was stronger in males, persons younger than 60 years of age and persons without comorbidities, and even more stronger in cold season. The effect of PM10 exposure on lower respiratory tract infection admissions was stronger in females, persons older than 60 years of age and persons with comorbidities, and even more stronger in cold season. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that higher levels of atmospheric particulate matter (PM10/PM2.5) may increase the risk of hospital admissions due to lower respiratory tract infection.

Pulmonary Function Impairment in Female Workers Exposed to Environments with Varied Ambient Air Pollution in the Central Business Area of Lusaka-Zambia.

Aims: To determine the lung function of cleaners exposed to particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micrometer (PM2.5) in the streets and offices in Lusaka, Zambia. Study Design: This was a cross sectional study between two groups. Place and Duration of Study: Lusaka city, central business area, between June and August 2014. Methodology: The study included women between 18-50 years of age who had been working as street or office cleaners for 6 months or more. Males and individuals in both groups who used to smoke or were currently smokers, as well as those with a history of respiratory related illnesses or had cardiopulmonary conditions were excluded from the study. The cleaners were interviewed to get information on socio-demographic characteristics and other information using a structured interview schedule. The participants’ lung volumes, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and their ratio (FEV1/FVC) were measured using a MRI spirobank G spirometer. On the day of the interview, PM2.5 in their work environment was sampled using a personal aerosol monitor (SIDEPAK AM510). Results: Out of the 90 participants, 45 were street sweepers and 45 were office cleaners. More street sweepers had impaired lung function (FEV1/FVC) 15(75%) than office cleaners 5(25%) p=0.01. FEV1 was also significantly different among street sweepers 12(70.6%) and office cleaners 5(29.4%) p=0.05. PM2.5 measurements revealed significantly high levels of exposure among street sweepers (p=0.001). Participants with impaired lung function (p=.005) and those with reduced FEV1percent predicted were exposed to significantly high concentrations of PM2.5 (p=0.012). Conclusion: Exposure to high PM2.5 concentration is associated with pulmonary function impairment and reduced FEV1 % predicted among cleaners.

Indoor air pollution and respiratory illness in children from rural India a pilot study.

Objective. Indoor air pollution measured in terms of particulate matter <2.5μm in diameter (PM2.5), is an important cause of respiratory illness in children. Therefore, PM2.5 levels in rural households and its correlation with respiratory illness-related symptoms in children were studied. Methods. A questionnaire-based survey of children for respiratory illness-related symptoms was conducted in 37 households of a village (Khanpurjupti, Delhi-NCR, India) from September 2011 to October 2011. Assessment of 24-hour PM2.5 level was done using University of California-Berkeley Particle and Temperature Sensor (UCB-PATS). Results. Thirty-seven households in a rural area were studied. These were divided into 20 respiratory households, i.e. those with children with respiratory illness-related symptoms and 17 control households. The 24-hour PM2.5 was measured in all the houses. The average minimum and maximum PM2.5 levels were 7.24mg/m3 and 22.70mg/m3, respectively (mean=10.47mg/m3) among the 20 respiratory households. The average minimum and maximum PM2.5 levels were 1.10mg/m3 and 18.17mg/m3, respectively (mean=4.99mg/m3) in the 17 control households. The PM2.5 levels were significantly greater (p<0.05) in houses where children had respiratory symptoms compared to the control households. Further, biomass fuel use and number of family members were significantly associated with respiratory illness in children. Conclusion. Increased PM2.5 levels, biomass fuel use and number of family members were found to be associated with increased occurrence of respiratory illness in children.

The Effects of air-borne particulate matters on the Alveolar Macrophages for the iNOS Expression and Nitric Oxide with Nitrotyrosilated-proteins Formation / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Particulate matters (PM) when inhaled is known to induce pulmonary diseases including asthma and chronic bronchitis when inhaled. Despite the epidemiological proofevidence, the pathogenesis of PM-related pulmonary diseases is unclearremain poorly understood. METHODS: Primary alveolar macrophages were harvested from the SPF and inflammatory rats by bronchioalveolar lavage (BAL). The cultured primary alveolar macrophages were treated with the medium only, PM only (5~40 microgram/cm2), LPS (5ng/ml) only, and PM with LPS for 24 and 48 hours. The level of secreted nitric oxide (NO) was assayed from the cultured medium by using the Griess reaction. The cultured cells were utilized for the western blotting against the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) proteins. Immunocyto- chemical staining against the iNOS and NT-proteins were performed in cells that cultured in the Lab-Tek(R) chamber slide after treatments. RESULTS: The PM that utilizein this experiments induced NO formation with iNOS expression in the cultured SPF and inflammatory rats alveolar macrophages, by itself. When the cells were co-treated with PM and LPS, there was a statistically significant synergistic effect on NO formation and iNOS expression over the LPS effect. The cells from the sham control showed minimal immunoreactivity for the NT-proteins. Significantly higher quantities of NT-proteins were detected in the PM and PM with LPS co-treated cells than from the sham control. CONCLUSION: Increased iNOS expression and NO formation with increased NT-proteins formation might be involved in the pathogenesis of PM-induced lung injury.

The Effects of Air-borne Particulate Matters on the Alveolar Macrophages for the TNF-alpha and IL-1beta Secretion / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: PM is known to induce various pulmonary diseases, including asthma, cancer, fibrosis and chronic bronchitis. Despite the epidemiological evidence the pathogenesis of PM-related pulmonary diseases is unclear. METHODS: This study examined the effects of PM exposure on the secretion of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in the cultured alveolar macrophages. The cultured primary alveolar macrophages were treated with the medium, PM (5~20 microgram/cm2), LPS (5ng/ml), and PM with LPS for 24h and 48h respectively. ELISA was used to assay the secreted TNF-alpha and IL-beta in the culture medium. Western blotting was used to identify and determine the level of proteins isolated from the culture cells. The cells cultured in the Lab-Tek(R) chamber slides were stained with immunocytochemical stains. RESULTS: PM induced TNF-alpha and IL-1beta secretion in the culturing alveolar macrophages, collected from the SPF and inflammatory rats. However, the effects were only dose-dependent in the inflammatory macrophages. When the cells were co-treated with PM and LPS, there was a significant synergistic effect compared with the LPS in the both cell types. CONCLUSION: PM might be play an important role in the induction and/or potentiation of various lung diseases by oversecretion of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta.

Effects of Particulate Matter (PM10) on The Pulmonary Function of Middle-School Children

It has been reported that the particulate matter under 10 micrometer (PM10) has deleterious effects on respiratory health. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of PM10 upon normal children's lung function. The subjects were 368 middle school students in two areas of Incheon Metropolitan City. One (Incheon) is in the central city and the other (Ganghwa) is in the suburbs. Air pollution data in the vicinities of two participating schools were obtained from monthly report of air quality from Korean Ministry of Environment in 2000. Pulmonary function testing (PFT) was done two times, the first one in March and the second one in December with the same students. We analyzed the relationship between the PM10 levels and pulmonary functions (FEV1, FVC) of the children. The monthly average of the PM10 level between the two areas showed no significant difference (55.3 vs. 52.3 microgram/m3 ). In both regions, the difference of the PM10 level between March and December was statistically significant (64 vs. 56 microgram/m3 in Incheon, 64 vs. 54 g/m 3 in Ganghwa). The findings of the PFT values in March were significantly lower than those values found in December for both regions. In conclusion, we suggest that PM10 has some adverse effect on the pulmonary function of normal children.