Journal Article

Maternal exposure to ultrafine particles enhances influenza infection during pregnancy

Regan, Annette, Zhao, Jiayun, Hoffmann, Aline Rodrigues, Tighe, Robert M., Johnson, Natalie M., Mustapha, Toriq, Shore, Ross A., Zhang, Renyi, Wright, Gus A., Drury, Nicholas L., Talcott, Susanne U.

2023

Overview

Background Interactions between air pollution and infectious agents are increasingly recognized and critical to identify, especially to protect vulnerable populations. Pregnancy represents a vulnerable period for influenza infection and air pollution exposure, yet interactions during pregnancy remain unclear. Maternal exposure to ultrafine particles (UFPs, ≤ 100 nm diameter), a class of particulate matter ubiquitous in urban environments, elicits unique pulmonary immune responses. We hypothesized that UFP exposure during pregnancy would lead to aberrant immune responses to influenza enhancing infection severity. Results Building from our well-characterized C57Bl/6N mouse model employing daily gestational UFP exposure from gestational day (GD) 0.5–13.5, we carried out a pilot study wherein pregnant dams were subsequently infected with Influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (PR8) on GD14.5. Findings indicate that PR8 infection caused decreased weight gain in filtered air (FA) and UFP-exposed groups. Co-exposure to UFPs and viral infection led to pronounced elevation in PR8 viral titer and reduced pulmonary inflammation, signifying potential suppression of innate and adaptive immune defenses. Pulmonary expression of the pro-viral factor sphingosine kinase 1 ( Sphk1 ) and pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β ( IL-1 β ) was significantly increased in pregnant mice exposed to UFPs and infected with PR8; expression correlated with higher viral titer. Conclusions Results from our model provide initial insight into how maternal UFP exposure during pregnancy enhances respiratory viral infection risk. This model is an important first step in establishing future regulatory and clinical strategies for protecting pregnant women exposed to UFPs.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Air Pollutants - analysis / Air Pollutants - toxicity / Air pollution / Analysis / Animals / At risk populations / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Disease susceptibility / Environmental aspects / Environmental Health / Exposure / Female / Health aspects / Health risks / Humans / Immune response / Infection / Inflammation / Influenza / Influenza A / Influenza, Human / Interleukin 1 / Interleukins / Kinases / Lung / Maternal Exposure - adverse effects / Medical research / Medicine, Experimental / Mice / Nanotechnology / Outdoor air quality / Pandemics / Particle Size / Particles / Particulate matter / Particulate Matter - toxicity / Pharmacology/Toxicology / Pilot Projects / Pneumology/Respiratory System / Pregnancy / Pregnant women / Public Health / Risk factors / Sphingosine / Sphingosine kinase / Ultrafine particles / Ultrafines / Urban environments / Viral infections / Womens health