engleski

Chronic exposure to vapors of gasoline and diesel upregulates the metallothionein I and II expression in the olfactory brain of mice

Olfactory systems are often used as excellent models for the study of widespread aspects of neural development and neuron-glia interactions after exposure to agents whose route of entry into the CNS might bypass the blood-brain barrier. Since, these pathways might be frequently stimulated by airborne urban pollutants resulting in chronic diseases, in this study we attempted to evaluate the effects of intermittent exposure of mice to gasoline (G) and diesel (D) vapor on brain, lungs and kidney expression of metallothioneins I+II (MTs), which as cysteine-rich proteins with metal binding affinity might provide cytoprotective action on any form of stress or injury. For this purpose C57/BL6 mice were for one h/day closed in a small metabolic chamber ventilated with fresh air or with G or D vapors. Protocol was repeated for 10 days and then MTs expression was detected in the brain, lungs and kidney. The findings were compared with data obtained in unstressed mice. It was found that G and D inhalation markedly upregulated the MT expression in ventricular ependyma and astrocytes, and particularly in the hippocampus, where project the stellate and pyramidal cells of lateral olfactory tract and perforant path. High cytoplasmic and nuclear MT expression was found also in alveolar epithelia and in the kidney, implying the protective effects of MT in areas exposed to toxic agents and their products. Simultaneously, both stress and toxic agents increased the cytotoxicity of hepatic and splenic lymphatic cells against the syngeneic thymocytes, implying that autoreactive clones of cells participate in the processes of tissue repair (supported by grants from Croatian Ministry of Science).

gasoline intoxication; mettalothioneins I+II; brain; lungs; kidney;

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