title: Combined air pollution particle and ozone exposure increases airway responsiveness in mice.
abstract: We investigated whether coexposure to inhaled ambient particles and ozone affects airway responsiveness (AR, measured as enhanced pause, Penh) and allergic inflammation (AI) in a murine model of asthma. Ovalbumin-sensitized mice were challenged with either ovalbumin ("asthmatic") or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) aerosols for 3 successive days. Immediately after daily challenge, mice were exposed for 5 h to concentrated ambient particles (CAPs), or 0.3 ppm ozone, or both, or neither (n > or = 61/group, 12 experiments). Exposure to CAPs alone or coexposure to CAPs + O(3) caused an increase in Penh in both normal and "asthmatic" mice. These responses were transient and small, increasing approximately 0.9% per 100-microg/m(3) increase in CAPs. Analysis of the effects of particle composition on AR revealed an association between the AlSi particle fraction and increased AR in "asthmatic" mice exposed to ozone and particles. No effects of pollutants on AI were noted. We conclude that (1) particle exposure causes an immediate, short-lived (<24 h) increase in AR in mice; (2) these responses are small; and (3) changes in AR may be correlated with specific elements within the particle mixture.
authors.affiliation: Physiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Carroll-Ann W
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
authors.forename: YaoYu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.forename: Guozhong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imrich
authors.forename: Joy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: G G Krishna
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Murthy
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: Lester
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kobzik
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000403:Airway Resistance / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D007249:Inflammation; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010126:Ozone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010316:Particle Size
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical; D010126:Ozone