title: Chronic exposure to air pollution particles increases the risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome: findings from a natural experiment in Beijing.
abstract: Epidemiologic evidence suggests that air pollution is a risk factor for childhood obesity. Limited experimental data have shown that early-life exposure to ambient particles either increases susceptibility to diet-induced weight gain in adulthood or increases insulin resistance, adiposity, and inflammation. However, no data have directly supported a link between air pollution and non-diet-induced weight increases. In a rodent model, we found that breathing Beijing's highly polluted air resulted in weight gain and cardiorespiratory and metabolic dysfunction. Compared to those exposed to filtered air, pregnant rats exposed to unfiltered Beijing air were significantly heavier at the end of pregnancy. At 8 wk old, the offspring prenatally and postnatally exposed to unfiltered air were significantly heavier than those exposed to filtered air. In both rat dams and their offspring, after continuous exposure to unfiltered air we observed pronounced histologic evidence for both perivascular and peribronchial inflammation in the lungs, increased tissue and systemic oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, and an enhanced proinflammatory status of epididymal fat. Results suggest that TLR2/4-dependent inflammatory activation and lipid oxidation in the lung can spill over systemically, leading to metabolic dysfunction and weight gain.-Wei, Y., Zhang, J., Li, Z., Gow, A., Chung, K. F., Hu, M., Sun, Z., Zeng, L., Zhu, T., Jia, G., Li, X., Duarte, M., Tang, X. Chronic exposure to air pollution particles increases the risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome: findings from a natural experiment in Beijing.
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria, and Risk Assessment and Environmental Standards Institute, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China;
authors.forename: Yongjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Nicholas School of the Environment and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China; junfeng.zhang@duke.edu xytang@pku.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Junfeng Jim
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria, and Risk Assessment and Environmental Standards Institute, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China;
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA;
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gow
authors.affiliation: National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Kian Fan
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China;
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; and.
authors.forename: Zhongsheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China;
authors.forename: Limin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China;
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria, and Risk Assessment and Environmental Standards Institute, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China;
authors.forename: Xiaoqian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Nicholas School of the Environment and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA;
authors.forename: Marlyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China; junfeng.zhang@duke.edu xytang@pku.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D000068476:Beijing / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: chronic inflammation; metabolic dysfunction; particulate matter