lung-microrna-profiling-across-the-estrous-cycle-in-ozone-exposed-mice

Lung microRNA Profiling Across the Estrous Cycle in Ozone-exposed Mice

MicroRNA (miRNA) profiling has become of interest to researchers working in various research areas of biology and medicine. Current studies show a ...

Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine

Sex differences in the incidence of respiratory diseases have been reported. Women are more susceptible to inflammatory lung disease induced by air pollution and show worse adverse pulmonary health outcomes than men. However, the mechanisms underlying these differences remain unknown. In the present study, we hypothesized that sex differences in the expression of lung inflammatory mediators affect sex-specific immune responses to environmental toxicants. We focused on the effects of ground-level ozone, a major air pollutant, in the expression and regulation of lung immunity genes. We exposed adult male and female mice to 2 ppm of ozone or filtered air (control) for 3 h. We compared mRNA levels of 84 inflammatory genes in lungs harvested 4 h postexposure using a PCR array. We also evaluated changes in lung histology and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cell counts and protein content at 24 and 72 h postexposure. Our results revealed sex differences in lung inflammation triggered by ozone exposure and in the expression of genes involved in acute phase and inflammatory responses. Major sex differences were found in the expression of neutrophil-attracting chemokines (Ccl20, Cxcl5, and Cxcl2), the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6, and oxidative stress-related enzymes (Ptgs2, Nos2). In addition, the phosphorylation of STAT3, known to mediate IL-6-related immune responses, was significantly higher in ozone-exposed mice. Together, our observations suggest that a differential regulation of the lung immune response could be implicated in the observed increased susceptibility to adverse health effects from ozone observed in women vs. men. 

Sex differences in the expression of lung inflammatory mediators in response to ozone.

Sex differences in the incidence and prognosis of respiratory diseases have been reported. Studies have shown that women are at increased risk of adverse health outcomes from air pollution than men, but sex-specific immune gene expression patterns and regulatory networks have not been well studied in the lung. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are environmentally sensitive posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression that may mediate the damaging effects of inhaled pollutants in the lung, by altering the expression of innate immunity molecules.

Sex-specific microRNA expression networks in an acute mouse model of ozone-induced lung inflammation.

Humanistic care in medicine has shown to improve healthcare outcomes. Language barriers are a significant obstacle to humanistic care, and trained medical interpreters have demonstrated to effectively bridge the gap for the vulnerable limited English proficiency (LEP) patient population. One way in which medical schools can train more humanistic physicians and provide language access is through the implementation of programs to train bilingual medical students as medical interpreters. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate whether such training had an impact on bilingual medical student's interpretation skills and humanistic traits.

Article	Year
Sex differences in the expression of lung inflammatory mediators in response to ozone. American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology\| PubMed ID: 26342085	2015
Sex-specific microRNA expression networks in an acute mouse model of ozone-induced lung inflammation. Biology of sex differences\| PubMed ID: 29739446	2018
Implementing a medical student interpreter training program as a strategy to developing humanism. BMC medical education\| PubMed ID: 29914460	2018

Patricia Silveyra

Biography

JoVE Journal Publications

Other Publications