title: In vivo screening to determine neurological hazards of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) using Wistar rats.
abstract: NO(2) is a well-known indoor and outdoor pollutant that may cause adverse health problems. Recently, accumulating but extremely limited evidences show that NO(2) possibly express neurotoxicity and is responsible for various neurological disorders. In the present study, neurological hazard of NO(2) and possible mechanisms were determined in rat pallium following a repetitive inhalation exposure with various concentrations (5, 10 and 20mg/m(3)). After 7-day exposure (6h/day), observable adverse effects were induced encompassing decreased ratio of brain to body weight, mild brain pathology, increased neuronal apoptosis, altered antioxidants (Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, GPx and NO) activity and increasing formation of PCO. NO(2) inhalation also induced augment of oncogenes (c-fos, c-jun) levels, and deregulation of apoptosis-related genes (p53, bax and bcl-2) expression. With all above data, the present report provided essential information for the characterization of the neurotoxic hazard of NO(2) and related mechanisms, which is required in response to the general concern about the vulnerability of the neurological system to it.
authors.affiliation: College of Environment and Resource, Center of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, PR China.
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Liqun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sang
authors.forename: Guangke
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D050050:Protein Carbonylation; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; C494828:Bax protein, rat; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide