title: Effect of air pollutant NO₂ on Betula pendula, Ostrya carpinifolia and Carpinus betulus pollen fertility and human allergenicity.
abstract: Pollen of Betula pendula, Ostrya carpinifolia and Carpinus betulus was exposed in vitro to two levels of NO2 (about 0.034 and 0.067 ppm) - both below current atmospheric hour-limit value acceptable for human health protection in Europe (0.11 ppm for NO2). Experiments were performed under artificial solar light with temperature and relative humidity continuously monitored. The viability, germination and total soluble proteins of all the pollen samples exposed to NO2 decreased significantly when compared with the non-exposed. The polypeptide profiles of all the pollen samples showed bands between 15 and 70 kDa and the exposure to NO2 did not produce any detectable changes in these profiles. However, the immunodetection assays indicated higher IgE recognition by patient sera sensitized to the pollen extracts from all exposed samples in comparison to the non-exposed samples. The common reactive bands to the three pollen samples correspond to 58 and 17 kDa proteins.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal; Centro de Geologia da Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Lázaro G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Cuinica
authors.affiliation: Centro de Geologia da Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ilda
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: jcsilva@fc.up.pt.
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Esteves da Silva
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000397:Air Pollution; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D029662:Betula / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D029401:Betulaceae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005060:Europe; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000378:metabolism; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D011058:Pollen / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide
keywords: Air pollutants; Allergic sensitization; Germination; Immunoblotting; Nitrogen dioxide; Pollen; Soluble proteins; Viability