Effects of Concurrent Exposure of Diesel Exhaust Particles and House Dust Mite on the Development of Allergen-Induced Airways Inflammation
Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Chronic air pollution exposure is associated with accelerated lung function decline and increased prevalence and exacerbations of chronic inflammatory lung diseases, such as asthma. However, its pathological effects have not been studied extensively. Therefore we assessed the physiological and immune responses induced by chronic exposure to low concentrations of diesel particles (freshly-generated particles [DEP] or diesel standard reference material [SRM]) in both healthy mice and those with house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic airways inflammation (reflective of asthma). We found that SRM exposure led to subtle neutrophilic inflammation in healthy mice, and that DEP increased central airway reactivity without affecting resultant airway constriction to methacholine in the asthma model. Results suggest that chronic exposure leads to immune changes in mice representing healthy individuals that may enhance the adverse effects of future allergen encounter; the low dose of particulate matter exposure has no effect in asthmatic background.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Yuxiang Zhang
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2768982823