US EPA

3010467 

Journal Article 

Inhalation of fine particulate matter during pregnancy increased IL-4 cytokine levels in the fetal portion of the placenta 

de Melo, JO; Soto, SF; Katayama, IA; Wenceslau, CF; Pires, AG; Veras, MM; Furukawa, LNS; de Castro, I; Nascimento Saldiva, PH; Heimann, JC 

2015 

1 

Toxicology Letters
ISSN: 0378-4274
EISSN: 1879-3169 

232 

2 

475-480 

English 

25481569 

10.1016/j.toxlet.2014.12.001 

WOS:000347852800018 

This study aimed to verify the development of placental and systemic inflammation in rats exposed to fine particulate matter before or during pregnancy. Wistar rats were exposed to filtered air ( control) or to a load of 600 mu g/m(3) of fine particles in the air. The gene expression of IL-1 beta, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, INF-gamma, TNF-alpha and Toll-like receptor 4 in the placenta was evaluated. The serum and placental concentrations of IL-1 beta, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, INF-gamma and TNF-alpha were measured. The total and differential blood leukocyte and blood platelet count was assessed. Compared to control animals, IL-4 content was elevated in the fetal portion of the placenta in rats exposed to air pollution before and during pregnancy. Increased IL-4 suggests that a placental inflammatory reaction may have occurred in response to exposure to fine particulate matter and that this cytokine was responsible, among possibly others factors, for resolution of the inflammatory reaction. (c) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 

Air pollution; Decidua; Inflammation; Placenta and pregnancy