Oxidative stress and air pollution exposure during pregnancy: A molecular assessment
Open accessAbstract
Chronic air pollution exposure during pregnancy can cause oxidative stress leading to adverse birth outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess and compare oxidative stress response in peripheral lymphocytes isolated from pregnant women from a highly industrialized locale (south Durban (SD); n = 50) and a control with lower air pollutant levels (north Durban (ND); n = 50). Oxidative stress response was measured by quantifying malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and a SuperArray gene panel. Mitochondrial function (adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels and mitochondrial depolarization), DNA integrity (comet assay and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) viability) and DNA repair (OGG1) were assessed. Antioxidant response was assessed by quantification of glutathione (GSH) and SOD2, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. Levels of MDA (p = 0.9), mitochondrial depolarization (p = 0.88), ATP (1.89-fold), SOD2 (1.23-fold) and UCP2 (1.58-fold) gene expression were elevated in the SD group with significantly higher UCP2 protein levels (p = 0.05) and longer comet tail length (p = 0.0004). The expression of Nrf2 protein (p = 0.03) and mRNA levels (-1.37-fold), GSH concentration (p < 0.0001), mtDNA amplification (-2.04-fold) and OGG1 mRNA (-2.78-fold) activity were decreased in the SD group. Of the 84 oxidative stress-related genes evaluated, 26 were differentially regulated. Pregnant women exposed to higher air poll…
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Pregnant women living in highly industrialized areas of south Durban, South Africa, had increased markers reflective of oxidative stress in circulating lymphocytes compared to women in a less industrialized area.
“Nagiah et al. [154] observed pregnant women living in highly industrialized areas of south Durban, South Africa, had increased markers reflective of oxidative stress in circulating lymphocytes as compared to women living in a less industrialized area in the north with lower pollutant levels.”
From Air pollution and children’s health—a review of adverse effects associated with prenatal exposure from fine to ultrafine particulate matter (2021) · cites this paper as [154]
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Nrf2–Keap1 defines a physiologically important stress response mechanism
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“Nrf2 binds to the antioxidant response element (ARE) in the nucleus and initiates transcription of antioxidant genes, including an important endogenous antioxidant and reduced glutathione (GSH).(19) Oxidative damage to DNA also initiates repair mechanisms.”
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Johnson, N. M., Hoffmann, A. R., Behlen, J. C., Lau, C., Pendleton, D., Harvey, N., Shore, R., Li, Y., Chen, J., Tian, Y., et al. (2021) · Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12199-021-00995-5 · Cited by 339 · see citing works
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Impact of ambient PM2.5 on adverse birth outcome and potential molecular mechanism
Li, Z., Tang, Y., Song, X., Lazar, L., Li, Z., & Zhao, J. (2019) · Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.10.109 · Cited by 193 · see citing works
Maternal serum metabolome and traffic-related air pollution exposure in pregnancy
Yan, Q., Liew, Z., Uppal, K., Cui, X., Ling, C., Heck, J. E., von Ehrenstein, O. S., Wu, J., Walker, D. I., Jones, D. P., et al. (2019) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2019.05.066 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
- Authors
- Nagiah, S., Phulukdaree, A., Naidoo, D., Ramcharan, K., Naidoo, R., Moodley, D., & Chuturgoon, A.
- Affiliations
- University of KwaZulu-Natal (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- Chuturgoon, A
- Venue
- Human & Experimental Toxicology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2014-11-17
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 838-847
- ISSN
- 0960-3271 (ISSN-L)
- 1477-0903
- OpenAlex
- W2033518083
- Cited by
- 65
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 2.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Human & Experimental Toxicology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Nelson Mandela University Research Repository (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Research Foundation
- Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale
- Inyuvesi Yakwazulu-Natali
- Medical Research Council
- National Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Biochemistry › Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress
- Keywords
- oxidative stress, air pollution exposure, pregnancy, malondialdehyde, mitochondrial depolarization, mitochondrial DNA integrity, DNA repair, OGG1, glutathione, manganese superoxide dismutase, Nrf2, UCP2, antioxidant response, peripheral blood lymphocytes, birth outcomes
- MeSH terms
- Air Pollution, Antioxidants, DNA Damage, Female, Humans, Pregnancy, South Africa, Oxidative Stress, Maternal Exposure
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