Effects of nitrous acid exposure on base line pulmonary resistance and inflammation in rats

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26281034
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental impact assessment
• Research Institution: Osaka Prefectural Institute of Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Ohyama Masayuki 大阪府立公衆衛生研究所, 衛生化学部, 主任研究員 (40175253)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 東 賢一 近畿大学, 医学部, 准教授 (80469246) ; 竹中 規訓 大阪府立大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (70236488)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 大気汚染 / 喘息 / 亜硝酸 / 二酸化窒素 / 肺抵抗 / ラット / 肺気腫 / モルモット

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The relationship between nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and asthma has been studied in many epidemiological studies; however, conventional assays of NO2 measure nitrous acid (HONO) as NO2. We investigated the effects of HONO on base line pulmonary resistance (RLung), dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn), cytokine induction, and histopathological changes in rats.
Our results demonstrated that HONO exposure significantly induced an increase in RLung and Muc5ac expression but did not affect Cdyn or expression of Cxcl-1 and TNF-a, and that the Lm of HONO exposure groups was significantly longer than that of control group. We found hypertrophy of the bronchial smooth muscle, pulmonary emphysema-like alterations in the alveolar duct centriacinar regions, and increased mucous secretion in goblets cells in HONO-exposed rats.
The present results suggest that HONO have a strong effect on asthma, and that HONO is the cause of the relationship between NO2 and asthma by epidemiological studies.

Free Research Field

公衆衛生