Project description:Exposure to nanomaterials (NM) during sensitive stages of development may predispose organisms to diseases later in life. However, direct translocation of NM from mother to fetus through the placenta is limited. The present study tests the hypothesis that pulmonary exposure to NM and NM-induced stress, such as inflammation during gestation, can lead to secondary effects in the growing fetus. Time mated C57BL/6BomTac mice were exposed by intratracheal instillation to vehicle (Milli Q water) or one of three concentrations (2.75, 13.5 or 67 µg/animal) of carbon black Printex 90 (CB) dispersions on gestational days 7, 10, 15 and 18 to a total final dose of 11, 54 or 268 µg/animal. Male and female newborns were sacrificed on day 2 after birth (PND2, 4 days after the last maternal exposure) and dams were sacrificed after weaning of offspring (26-27 days post-exposure). Histopathology, DNA microarrays, pathway-specific RT-PCR arrays, focussed RT-PCR, and tissue protein analysis were employed to characterize pulmonary response in dams exposed to CB during gestation. Gene expression profiles in newborn livers were interpreted in light of toxic effects of CB to dams indicated by gene expression profiles of dam lungs. Although retention of CB particles was observed in dams from both medium and high dose groups, neutrophil-marked inflammation was significant only in the high dose group dams. Inflammation in dams was accompanied by altered expression of several cytokines and chemokines both at the transcriptional and tissue protein levels. Analysis of newborn livers by DNA microarrays revealed that female offspring were much more sensitive to maternal stress than males. Cellular signalling, inflammation, immune response, cell cycle and lipid metabolism were among the biological pathways affected in female offspring. Males however, responded with subtle changes in genes involved in metabolism. At present, the implications of altered biological pathways in offspring in response to in utero exposure to particles are not well understood. Further investigation will be required to determine if there are long term consequences to offspring in terms of health and responses to environmental stresses.

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Adrenal gland gene expression in male pigs from dams fed diets supplemented with algae or fish oil and challenged with LPS in late gestation

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