Paternal Biomass Smoke Exposure in Rats Produces Behavioral and Cognitive Alterations in the Offspring

Abstract

Particular concern at the present stage is the health effects of wildfires’ smoke. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of paternal biomass-smoke exposure on offspring’s behavior and cognitive abilities. Male rats were exposed to biomass smoke for four hours/day, five days/week, for four weeks. Average concentration of carbon monoxide and particulate matter of 2.5 μm PM2.5 in the chamber during exposure were 28.7 ± 5.3 mg/m3 and 1.9 ± 0.5 mg/m3, respectively. At the same time, high concentrations of furfural and acetaldehyde were detected in the air environment of the exposure chambers. Offspring was obtained by mating of experimental males with untreated females, immediately after the end of the exposure and after 60 days (long-term period). Offspring were tested by using the Morris water maze and open field at three months of age. Male and female offspring born by mating immediately after exposure demonstrated decreased exploratory behavior, locomotor activity, and spatial navigation, as well as increased anxiety levels. Locomotor and exploratory activity in rats of both sexes from progeny obtained after long-term exposure to smoke had no statistically significant differences when compared to the control; however, the females showed a high level of anxiety and impaired cognitive functions. The recovery period after biomass-smoke intoxication, comparable in duration of spermatogenesis in rats, was an important factor in reducing the risk of developing central nervous system (CNS) disorders in offspring.

Indoor Air Quality Considerations for Laboratory Animals in Wildfire-Impacted Regions—A Pilot Study

“…In these cases, a single lab might struggle to reproduce their own findings from one animal cohort to the next. Smoke exposure could also impact animal breeding operations including breeding success, fertility, and the health of the offspring [ 19 , 42 , 43 , 44 ].…”

“…In primates, short-term perinatal exposure to wildfire smoke in California resulted in immune modulation that was observable into adolescence in the offspring [ 53 ]. Male rats exposed to wildfire smoke produce offspring with behavioral aberrancies, suggesting a potential for multi-generational effects [ 44 ]. Such effects could be passed through the germ line as we have demonstrated that prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke significantly alters the sperm epigenome of mice [ 54 ].…”

Wildfire Smoke Toxicology and Health

“…emergency department visits and hospitalizations) to examine the relationship of acute wildfire exposures with respiratory and cardiovascular diagnoses (Alman et al, 2016;Cascio, 2018;Haikerwal et al, 2016;Hutchinson et al, 2018;Jia C. Liu, Pereira, Uhl, Bravo, & Bell, 2015). However research is limited for physiological systems beyond the respiratory and cardiovascular pathways (Chapters 12, 13), delayed health impacts from acute exposures (Orr, A. L. Migliaccio, Buford, Ballou, & Migliaccio, 2020), long-term morbidity (Schuller & Montrose, 2020;Sosedova et al, 2020), and assessment of effects from chronic, cumulative and mixtures of exposures. This research is expensive, complex and timeconsuming; but these studies are necessary to protect both public and occupational health.…”

Alterations in CNS Functions and DNA Methylation in Rats after 24 h Exposure to Peat Smoke

“…Experimental modeling of the impact of peat smoke was carried out in exposure chambers with a volume of 200 L. The smoke emitted from the smoke generator was directed into exposure chamber equipped with air temperature and humidity control devices, in which the animals were kept [19]. A fan was used to maintain a uniform flow of smoke into the breathing area of the animals.…”