Urban air pollution produces up-regulation of myocardial inflammatory genes and dark chocolate provides cardioprotection

Abstract

Air pollution is a serious environmental problem. Elderly subjects show increased cardiac morbidity and mortality associated with air pollution exposure. Mexico City (MC) residents are chronically exposed to high concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and PM-associated lipopolysaccharides (PM-LPS). To test the hypothesis that chronic exposure to urban pollution produces myocardial inflammation, female Balb-c mice age 4 weeks were exposed for 16 months to two distinctly different polluted areas within MC: Southwest (SW) and Northwest (NW). SW mice were given either no treatment or chocolate 2g/9.5 mg polyphenols/3 times per week. Results were compared to mice kept in clean air. Key inflammatory mediator genes: cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and the LPS receptor CD14 (cluster of differentiation antigen 14) were measured by real time polymerase chain reaction. Also explored were target NFκB (Nuclear Factor κ B), oxidative stress and antioxidant defense genes.TNF-α, IL-6, and COX-2 were significantly increased in both NW and SWMC mice (p=0.0001). CD14 was up-regulated in SW mice in keeping with the high exposures to particulate matter associated endotoxin. Chocolate administration resulted in a significant down-regulation of TNF-α (p<0.0001), IL-6 (p=0.01), and IL-1β (p=0.02). The up-regulation of antioxidant enzymes and the down-regulation of potent oxidases, toll-like receptors, and pro-apoptotic signaling genes completed the protective profile.Exposure to air pollution produces up-regulation of inflammatory myocardial genes and endotoxin plays a key role in the inflammatory response. Regular consumption of dark chocolate may reduce

Diesel Exhaust Particles Induce Impairment of Vascular and Cardiac Homeostasis in Mice: Ameliorative Effect of Emodin

“…In the present study, we show that emodin treatment abrogated the DEPinduced increase in cardiac proinflammatory cytokine TNFα and IL1β. It has been recently demonstrated that air pollution exposure induces myocardial inflammation characterized by increase of TNFα and IL1β and that dark chocolate provides cardioprotection [40].…”

Punicalagin and (–)-Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Rescue Cell Viability and Attenuate Inflammatory Responses of Human Epidermal Keratinocytes Exposed to Airborne Particulate Matter PM10

“…A previous study showed that chocolate administration significantly downregulates TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β expression in mice exposed to urban air pollution, indicating that polyphenolic antioxidants could reduce cardiac inflammation caused by exposure to air pollution [19]. An extract of Eucheuma cottonii reduces both the accumulation of alveolar macrophages and the serum levels of malondialdehyde in PM10 coal dust-exposed rats, indicating that the extract attenuates inflammation and oxidative stress resulting from chronic coal dust exposure [26].…”

“…Numerous plant-derived polyphenolic compounds exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects [17-19]. We previously reported that pomegranate peel extract attenuates the oxidative and inflammatory responses of monocytes exposed to PM10 [20].…”

Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular Risk: Obesity, Diabetes, Smoking, and Pollution

“…Supplementation of the endogenous antioxidant superoxide dismutase attenuates the vascular effects of C-DEAP particles in isolated blood vessels (205). Furthermore, emerging data from animal models suggests that several antioxidant(-rich) compounds, including curcumin (242), NAC (243), NAD(P)H oxidase inhibitors (244), vanillic acid (245), emodin (246), tempol (235), and even dark chocolate (247), can protect against some cardiovascular actions of C-DEAP. Regrettably, these findings have not been replicated in human studies, with antioxidant-rich foods or supplements having inconsistent effects on PM 2.5 -induced heart rate variability (248,249) and vascular dysfunction (250–252).…”