Abstract
Ambient air ultrafine particles have estimated to have more hazardous cardiovascular effects on human health than larger ambient particles. Recently, new type diesel engines release a large number of nanoparticles, which correspond to the main constituents in environmental nanoparticles. This study was conducted to determine the effects of nanoparticles enriched diesel exhaust (NP-DE) inhalation on pregnancy and fetal growth in rats. Twenty-four pregnant F344 rats were divided into four groups. Group 1 was exposed to clean air (control), groups 2 and 3 were exposed to total nanoparticles enriched diesel exhaust (T-NP-DE) at concentration of 42 μg/m3 (low) and 147 μg/m3 (high), and group 4 was exposed to filtered exhaust without particulate matter (F-NP-DE). The exposure period was 5 hours daily during gestation days (GD) 1-19 (GD 0 = day of sperm-positive). At cesarean section on GD 20, maternal organs were removed and weighed, and blood was taken for hormones analysis (luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), progesterone, estradiol-17β, testosterone), and fetal parameters were measured. There was no significant difference in body weight gain during pregnancy between the NP-DE-exposed and control pregnant rats, and no abortion was observed in the NP-DE-exposed pregnant rats. The maternal liver, spleen, and adrenals weights significantly decreased in all NP-DE exposure groups as compared with controls. Plasma concentrations of progesterone significantly decreased in all T-NP-DE exposure groups and F-NP-DE group. In contrast, plasma concentrations of LH significantly increased in high concentration of T-NP-DE and F-NP-DE exposed groups, and plasma concentrations of estradiol-17β significantly increased in F-NP-DE exposed group. Fetal body weight, crown-rump length and fetal anogenital distance were significantly increased in both male and female in high concentration of T-NP-DE and F-NP-DE exposed groups. These results showed for the first time that NP-DE disrupts hormonal regulation of pregnancy in rats. These disruptions may cause abortion in pregnant animals. Supported by a grant-in-aid for the scientific research (Basic research P07582, B-18310044, and C-1751005).
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