Project description:The lung response to inhalation exposure to oil vapor particles was investigated in a rat model. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed by whole-body inhalation to air or an aerosol containing oil vapor particles at concentrations of 300 ppm, 6 hours/day for 1 day (shot-term) or 300 ppm, 6 hours/day, 4 days/week for 4 weeks (long-term). The control and oil vapor exposed rats were euthanized at post-exposure time intervals of 1 and 28 days and lung toxicity determined. Analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage parameters of toxicity such as lactate dehydrogenase activity, oxidant generation, and inflammation did not reveal any significant lung toxicity in the oil vapor exposed rats. Approximately 50 genes each were found significantly differentially expressed in both the short- and long-term exposure groups of the rats at the one-day post-exposure time interval. The data obtained from the present study demonstrated that oil vapor inhalation exposure, under the exposure conditions employed in the present study, did not result in any significant lung toxicity in the rats despite the gene expression changes detected.
Project description:Exposure to crystalline silica results in serious health effects, most notably, silicosis and cancer. An understanding of the silica-induced lung toxicity is critical for the intervention and/or prevention of its adverse health effects. Rats were exposed by inhalation to air or crystalline silica (15 mg/m3, 6 hours/day for 5 days). At post-exposure time intervals of 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months, the control and silica exposed rats were euthanized, and lung toxicity and gene expression profiles determined. Histological changes indicative of lung toxicity detected in the silica exposed rats included infiltration of neutrophils, thickening of alveolar epithelium, and fibrosis. Significant increases in lactate dehydrogenase activity, number of phagocytes, and inflammatory cytokine levels were detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) obtained from the silica exposed rats compared with the corresponding time-matched controls. Significant changes in lung gene expression profiles, corresponding to the changes in the lung toxicity parameters analyzed, were detected in the silica exposed rats. The BAL parameters of toxicity and inflammation peaked at the 12-months post-exposure time interval and declined subsequently. However, lung fibrosis continued to progress being highest at the 18-month post-exposure time interval. These results suggest that inflammation may be required for the initiation but not for the progression and/or maintenance of lung fibrosis in response to silica exposure in the rats.
Project description:We compared early biological changes in mice after inhalation exposures to cigarette smoke or e-vapor aerosols (MarkTen® cartridge with Carrier, Test-1, or Test-2 formulations; 4% nicotine). Female C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 3R4F cigarette smoke or e-vapor aerosols by nose-only inhalation for up to 4 hours/day, 5 days/week, for 3 weeks. The 3R4F and e-vapor exposures were set to match the target nose port aerosol nicotine concentration (∼41 µg/L). Only the 3R4F group showed postexposure clinical signs such as tremors and lethargy. At necropsy, the 3R4F group had significant increases in lung weight and changes in bronchoalveolar lavage parameters, as well as microscopic findings in the respiratory tract. The e-vapor groups had minimal microscopic changes, including squamous metaplasia in laryngeal epiglottis, and histiocytic infiltrates in the lung (Test-2 group only). The 3R4F group had a higher incidence and severity of microscopic findings compared to any e-vapor group. Transcriptomic analysis also showed that the 3R4F group had the highest number of differentially expressed genes compared to Sham Control. Among e-vapor groups, Test-2 group had more differentially expressed genes but the magnitude of gene expression-based network perturbations in all e-vapor groups was ∼94% less than the 3R4F group. On proteome analysis in the lung, differentially regulated proteins were detected in the 3R4F group only. In conclusion, 3-weeks of 3R4F exposure induced molecular and microscopic changes associated with smoking-related diseases in the respiratory tract, while e-vapor exposures showed substantially reduced biological activities.
Project description:Fish oil, olive oil, and coconut oil dietary supplementation have several cardioprotective benefits, but it is not established if they can protect against air pollution-induced adverse effects. We hypothesized that these dietary supplements would attenuate ozone-induced systemic and pulmonary effects. Male Wistar Kyoto rats were fed either a normal diet, or a diet enriched with fish, olive, or coconut oil starting at 4 weeks of age for 8 weeks. Animals were then exposed to air or ozone (0.8 ppm), 4h/day for 2 consecutive days. The fish oil diet completely abolished phenylephrine-induced vasoconstriction that was increased following ozone exposure in the animals fed all other diets. Only the fish oil diet increased baseline levels of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) markers of lung injury and inflammation. Ozone-induced pulmonary injury/inflammation were comparable in rats on normal, coconut oil, and olive oil diets with altered expression of markers in animals fed the fish oil diet. Fish oil, regardless of exposure, led to enlarged, foamy macrophages in the BALF that coincided with decreased mRNA expression of cholesterol transporters, cholesterol receptors, and nuclear receptors in the lung. Serum miRNA profile was assessed using small RNA-sequencing in normal and fish oil groups and demonstrated marked depletion of a variety of miRNAs, several of which were of splenic origin. No ozone-specific changes were noted. Collectively, these data indicate that while fish oil offered protection from ozone-induced aortic vasoconstriction, it increased pulmonary injury/inflammation and impaired lipid transport mechanisms resulting in foamy macrophage accumulation, demonstrating the need to be cognizant of potential off-target pulmonary effects that might offset the overall benefit of this vasoprotective dietary supplement.
Project description:Crystalline nanocellulose (CNC) is an emerging nanomaterial with multiple commercial and industrial applications. Occupational exposure to CNC during the production and/or use of products containing the nanomaterial potentially resulting in adverse health effects among workers is possible. Therefore, there is an immediate need to determine the toxicity potential of CNC. Rats were exposed to either air or CNC (20 mg/m^3, 6 hours/day, 5 days/week, 14 days) and lung toxicity was determined one day following termination of the exposures. Compared to the control rats, the CNC exposed rats exhibited moderate changes in lung histology. Lactate dehydrogenase activity and the number of phagocytes present in the bronchoalveolar lavage were higher in the CNC exposed rats, compared with the controls. Global gene expression profiling identified 531 genes whose expressions were significantly different (fold change >1.5 and FDR p <0.05) in the lungs of the CNC exposed rats, compared with the controls. In summary, the data demonstrated the induction of pulmonary toxicity and global gene expression changes in the lungs of the rats in response to inhalation exposure to CNC.
Project description:A 7-month inhalation study in C57BL/6 mice was conducted to evaluate long-term respiratory toxicity of e-vapor aerosols compared to cigarette smoke and to assess the impact of smoking cessation or switching to an e-vapor product after 3 months of exposure to 3R4F cigarette smoke (CS). In this study, we performed a chronic inhalation (4 h/day, 5 d/week, up to 7 months) study in C57BL/6 mice using a commercial (MarkTen®) e-vapor product and a combustible reference cigarette (3R4F) using a Switching and Cessation study design. A commercial e-vapor product (MarkTen® device [version 2.6.8]; “Test Red”) was supplied by Altria Client Services LLC (Richmond, VA, USA). The Test Red formulation was composed of aerosol formers (propylene glycol [PG] and vegetable glycerol [VG]), ~4% nicotine by weight, and flavors (non-menthol). The 3R4F commercial reference cigarettes were purchased from the University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY). HEPA filtered air at the testing facility (Battelle, West Jefferson, OH) was used as Sham Control. General procedures for animal care and housing met the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) recommendations and requirements stated in the “Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” [National Research Council (NRC)] and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Female C57BL/6 mice were received from Charles River Kingston (Stone Ridge, NY). Test atmosphere was generated from smoking machines and delivered to the mice through a nose-only exposure system. The modified Cooperation Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco (CORESTA) Reference Method 81 regimen (55/30/5: a 55 ± 0.3 mL puff volume, a puff every 30 seconds, a 5-second puff duration) was used to generate e-vapor aerosol for 130 puffs/cartridge. Mainstream smoke from 3R4F cigarette was generated using a modified Health Canada Intense regimen (55/30/2: a 55 ± 0.3 mL puff volume, a puff every 30 seconds, a 2-second puff duration, and a near-square puff profile) for 8 puffs/cigarette. Female C57BL/6 mice (~10 weeks old) were randomly assigned based on body weight to one of five exposure groups: Sham Control, 3R4F CS, Test Red, Switching, and Cessation. Mice were exposed to 3R4F CS (550 µg/L TPM) or e-vapor aerosols (Test Red; 1100 µg/L TPM) via nose-only inhalation up to 4 h/day, 5 d/week for up to 7 months. After the first 3 months of exposure, groups of 3R4F CS mice were subjected to exposures of: (1) Test Red aerosol (“Switching”) or (2) filtered air (“Cessation”), while a group of mice continued to be exposed to 3R4F CS. Here, the protein expression data for lung tissue assessed by iTRAQ®-based quantitative proteomics is reported.
Project description:Rats were trained to orally self-administer alcohol in a concurrent, two-lever, free-choice contingency using a modification of the sweet solution fading procedure (O'Dell et al., 2004; Roberts et al., 2000; Vendruscolo et al., 2012). Following acquisition of self-administration, rats were allowed to self-administer unsweetened alcohol (10%) for 4 weeks and were then assigned to two groups matched by levels of responding: one group (dependent group) was exposed to chronic, intermittent ethanol vapors for 4 weeks to induce dependence; the other group (nondependent group) was not exposed to ethanol vapor. After a month of vapor exposure, rats were again tested during acute withdrawal (6-8 hours after removal from the vapor chambers) until stable levels of alcohol intake were achieved. As expected, alcohol vapor-exposed rats self-administered significantly greater amounts of alcohol than control rats not exposed to alcohol vapor during acute withdrawal. Rats were sacrificed during protracted abstinence (3 weeks after the end of alcohol vapor exposure) along with age-matched alcohol naive rats.
Project description:This project addresses the question of impact of oil spills on lung health. Specifically the project will address the general hypothesis, which is upon oil/dispersant respiratory exposure there will be a higher carcinogenic potential of lung tissue.