title: Rapid doubling of Alzheimer's amyloid-β40 and 42 levels in brains of mice exposed to a nickel nanoparticle model of air pollution.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over 20 genetic risk factors have been confirmed to associate with elevated risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the identification of environmental and/or acquired risk factors has been more elusive. At present, recognized acquired risks for AD include traumatic brain injury, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on reports associating various inhalants with AD pathology, we investigated the possibility that air pollution might contribute to AD risk by exposing wild-type mice to a standard air pollution modeling system employing nickel nanoparticle-enriched atmosphere for 3 hr.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mice exposed to air pollution showed 72-129% increases in brain levels of both amyloid-β peptides Aβ40 and Aβ42, as well as Aβ42/40 (p <0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These effects on elevation of brain Aβ exceed those associated with trisomy 21, a known risk for early onset AD pathology, raising the possibility that clinical importance might be attached. Further work is required to establish the molecular and physiological basis for these phenomena. The rapid, dramatic effect, if verified, would suggest that inhalant exposures should be evaluated for their possible roles in contributing to the environmental risk for common forms of AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Soong Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Elysse M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, New York University, Tuxedo Park, New York, NY 10987, USA.
authors.forename: Eric L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, New York University, Tuxedo Park, New York, NY 10987, USA.
authors.forename: Azita K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, New York University, Tuxedo Park, New York, NY 10987, USA.
authors.forename: Marusia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Popovech
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, New York University, Tuxedo Park, New York, NY 10987, USA.
authors.forename: Lung-Chi
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA ; Department of Psychiatry and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA ; James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York, NY 10468, USA.
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gandy