Sex-Dependent Depression-Like Behavior Induced by Respiratory Administration of Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles.

Xin Zhang,Xiaodong Chen,Chengcheng Zhang,Xiaobo Li,Shizhi Wang,Rui Chen,Lian Zhou,Qingtao Meng,Zhen Ding,Shenshen Wu,Yan Xu

doi:10.3390/ijerph121215011

Abstract

Ultrafine aluminum oxide, which are abundant in ambient and involved occupational environments, are associated with neurobehavioral alterations. However, few studies have focused on the effect of sex differences following exposure to environmental Al2O3 ultrafine particles. In the present study, male and female mice were exposed to Al2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) through a respiratory route. Only the female mice showed depression-like behavior. Although no obvious pathological changes were observed in mice brain tissues, the neurotransmitter and voltage-gated ion channel related gene expression, as well as the small molecule metabolites in the cerebral cortex, were differentially modulated between male and female mice. Both mental disorder-involved gene expression levels and metabolomics analysis results strongly suggested that glutamate pathways were implicated in sex differentiation induced by Al2O3 NPs. Results demonstrated the potential mechanism of environmental ultrafine particle-induced depression-like behavior and the importance of sex dimorphism in the toxic research of environmental chemicals.

Highlights

Previous studies have indicated an association between adverse health effects and respiratory exposure to airborne ultrafine particulate matters with average aerodynamic diameter of up to0.1 μm [1,2]
To better understand the paradigm of sex-differentiated response to Al2 O3 NPs, the present study evaluated mice behavior through open field test and forced swim tests as well as aluminum burden, gene expression and metabolites in cerebral cortex of mice administered by respiratory inhalation of Al2 O3 NPs, which mimic the ambient exposure route, to help elucidate the sex-dependent response to environmental stress
2 demonstrate that corresponding the aluminumsex burden themale lungmice, tissues of mice significantly increased with their controlin(for t = 18.290, Al2 O3 NP-treated mice significantly increased compared with their corresponding sex control

Summary

Introduction

Previous studies have indicated an association between adverse health effects and respiratory exposure to airborne ultrafine particulate matters with average aerodynamic diameter of up to0.1 μm [1,2]. Previous studies have indicated an association between adverse health effects and respiratory exposure to airborne ultrafine particulate matters with average aerodynamic diameter of up to. Given that the chemical components of particulate matters may vary with location, which may affect toxicity, the study of health associations of particle chemical constituents is critically required. Metals represent a portion of the elements found within airborne particulate matters (PM), which are important as they have high potential for chemical reactivity in vivo and in vitro [3]. Aluminum (Al) is one of the most consistent metal components of PM in the ambient environment [4,5] and in the Al2 O3 form it is relatively stable. Ultrafine Al2 O3 particles are widely used in insulator layers, powder coatings, and fluorescent lamp reflecting materials.

Methods

Results

Conclusion