title: Effects of non-protein-type amino acids of fine particulate matter on E-cadherin and inflammatory responses in mice.
abstract: Exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) in size is an urgent issue for the protection of human health. Chemicals with PM2.5 collected during a period of intensive haze episodes in Beijing (BJ), Xian (XA) and Hong Kong (HK) were characterised for organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), total carbon (TC) and free amino acids. BALB/c mice underwent aspiration exposure of 50 or 150 μg of PM2.5/mouse (BJ, XA and HK) on days 1 and 7 and were euthanised on day 14. The effects of these exposures on E-cadherin and inflammatory responses in the mouse lungs were analysed. The PM2.5 chemicals consisted of significant amounts of OC: 36.6 ± 17.2 μg/m(3) for BJ, 38.8 ± 3.8 μg/m(3) for XA and 7.2 ± 1.4 μg/m(3) for HK. A total of 23 free amino compounds for the PM2.5 samples were analysed: 4075 ± 1578 pmol/m(3) for BJ, 4718 ± 2190 pmol/m(3) for XA and 1145 ± 213 pmol/m(3) for HK. Exposure to PM2.5 resulted in the suppression of E-cadherin levels in the lung tissues and increased IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The alterations in E-cadherin, IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-10 were associated with OC, TC and some amino acids, particularly non-protein-type amino acids. These data emphasised the deleterious health effects of PM2.5.
authors.affiliation: School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Electronic address: r92841005@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Hsiao-Chi
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Municipal Key Laboratory for Health Risk Analysis, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address: kfho@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Kin-Fai
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Aerosol Science & Technology, SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710075, China. Electronic address: cao@loess.llqg.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Jun-Ji
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: kjc@tmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Kai-Jen
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USA. Electronic address: stevenho@hkpsrl.org.
authors.forename: Steven Sai Hang
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: 13199@s.tmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Po-Hao
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. Electronic address: linweit@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Linwei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Electronic address: b8301130@tmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Chii-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Aerosol Science & Technology, SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710075, China. Electronic address: yongming@ieecas.cn.
authors.forename: Yong-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Electronic address: leecn@shh.org.tw.
authors.forename: Chun-Nin
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: tcheng@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Tsun-Jen
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D015820:Cadherins; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D052638:Particulate Matter; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D002244:Carbon; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: Air pollution; Haze; Organic carbon; Oxidative stress; PM(2.5); Physicochemistry