Influence of Air Pollution on Respiratory Health During Perinatal Development

Abstract

The respiratory system is a highly ordered structure composed of over 40 cell types involved in a multitude of functions. Development of the lungs spans from embryogenesis to adult life, passing through several distinct stages of growth. 2. Oxidant gases, airborne particles and environmental tobacco smoke are common air pollutants that could have a significant impact on the lungs during both pre- and postnatal periods of life. Although the specific target cells for exposure to these pollutants are not clearly identified, these cells are likely to affect critical signals or mediators expressed during distinct stages of lung development. 3. Neonatal susceptibility to environmental pollutants may be caused by either direct or indirect hits on several cell types to influence cell differentiation, proliferation and/or maturation. Air pollutants may also alter the normal developmental pattern for metabolic, immune and neurological functions that are constantly changing during in utero and postnatal growth. 4. The sensitivity of neonatal cells to environmental insults is likely to be completely different from these same cell types found in the adult. Delivery of an environmental toxicant to the respiratory system is also dramatically different during the fetal compared with the postnatal period. Passage and interaction of environmental factors through other organ systems and the vasculature, as well as maternal influences, must be taken into consideration when evaluating the impact of an environmental toxicant during early life. 5. To understand the heath outcomes of exposure to a variety of environmental factors in the respiratory system of children requires careful consideration that lung development is a multistep process and cannot be based on studies in adults.

Airborne concentrations of volatile organic compounds in neonatal incubators

“…10 Exposure to environmental insults may alter the normal developmental pattern of different organ systems in utero and postnatally. 36 Neonates, especially preterm neonates, have lower levels of detoxification enzymes and decreased DNA repair efficiency than adults; therefore, Neonatal incubator and air quality P Prazad et al air pollutants may alter their normal developmental pattern for the metabolic, immune and neurologic function that is constantly developing during the perinatal period. Differential exposure, physiological immaturity and longer life span, over which diseases initiated in early childhood can develop, may make neonates a susceptible target for environmental toxicity.…”

Early Development Origins of Adult Disease Caused by Malnutrition and Environmental Chemical Substances

“…57) This suggests that the fetal period is critical for the development of the respiratory system, which concurs with current knowledge about human physiological development. 58) Joad et al 59) exposed rats prenatally and postnatally to either filtered air or sidestream smoke and found that the exposure increased lung sensitivity to methacholine challenge and caused neuroendocrine cell proliferation. This led the researchers to conclude that perinatal ETS exposure programmed hyperresponsiveness in the respiratory system through pulmonary neuroendocrine cell proliferation.…”

Impact of air pollution on lung inflammation and the role of Toll-like receptors

“…65 Children's sensitivity to adverse pulmonary health effects may be attributed to the developmental stage of the respiratory tract, the immaturity of immune and antioxidant enzyme systems, and the fact that they spend more time outdoors while breathing more air per kilogram of body weight than adults. 38,[66][67][68] In a group of elderly individuals, both PM and O 3 were correlated with hospital admissions for respiratory conditions for individuals aged 70-79 years. 69 Further, a recent meta-analysis of previously conducted studies confirmed significant associations between short-term O 3 exposure and respiratory hospitalizations, with the strongest association during the summer months and for elderly populations.…”

“…36 Susceptibility to impacts of air pollution later in life may be due to impacts on lung development in utero and throughout childhood that contribute to an asthmatic or susceptible phenotype later in life. [37][38][39][40] Vedal and colleagues demonstrated an increased susceptibility to reductions in peak expiratory flow and increased cough, phlegm production, and sore throat in children with asthma. 41 Exacerbated responses in asthmatic compared to healthy adult individuals may be related to altered PM-deposition patterns due to altered airway physiology and remodeling, such as hypertrophy of bronchial smooth muscle, transformation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts, and deposition of subepithelial collagen.…”