Maternal exposure to particulate matter alters early post-natal lung function and immune cell development

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Developmental Biology
• Immunology

Background:

• Prenatal exposure to particulate matter (PM) is linked to adverse postnatal health outcomes.
• The specific impact of community-sampled PM on early lung and immune development remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of in utero particulate matter (PM) exposure on early postnatal lung function and immune cell populations in a mouse model.
• To utilize house ceiling void PM as a proxy for community PM exposure.

Main Methods:

• Pregnant mice were intranasally exposed to ceiling-derived PM or saline on specific gestational days.
• Offspring lung function was assessed using the forced oscillation technique at two weeks old.
• T and B cell populations in spleen and thymus were enumerated via flow cytometry.

Main Results:

• Maternal PM exposure reduced lung volume and function in male offspring.
• While thymic T cell populations were unaffected in dams and male offspring, female offspring showed decreased CD4+CD25+ T cells.
• Maternal PM exposure increased splenic T cells in dams and suggested inhibited splenic T cell maturation in male offspring.

Conclusions:

• Maternal exposure to ceiling void PM can impede early somatic growth and alter immune development in a sex-specific manner.
• These findings underscore the potential health risks associated with indoor PM exposure during pregnancy.