The impact of particulate-matter (PM) air pollution on a cell level and especially on adipose tissue has been studied mainly in animal models. For the first time, an in vivo assessment of the effect air pollution has on human fat cells was conducted. Utilizing novel models to test air pollution effects on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases on a tissue level has enabled us to enhance mechanistic understanding on the link between air pollution, adipose tissue biology and metabolic dysfunction.
We investigated the links between PM exposure and 25 cellular markers in human omental (OM) and subcutaneous (SC) fat. A novel hybrid satellite-based spatio-temporal model estimated individual PM2.5 (<2.5 μm) and PM10 (<10 μm) exposure above background for 1 week (acute), 3 and 6 months (intermediate), and 1 year (chronic) before tissue harvesting. Multiple linear regressions and heat-map analyses revealed that acute and intermediate PM10 exposure elevated chemokine levels, acute PM2.5 and PM10 increased stress-signaling biomarkers in both depots, macrophage and leukocyte infiltration rose at every time point, and adipocyte diameter consistently declined. Collectively, these findings suggest that ambient PM pollution provokes inflammation and metabolic dysregulation in human adipose tissue.
The results of this study were published June 2019 in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health.