INVESTIGADORES
GOMEZ-MEJIBA Sandra Esther
artículos
Título:
INHALATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS & CHRONIC INFLAMMATION: AUTOIMMUNITY & NEURODEGENERATION
Autor/es:
SANDRA E GOMEZ-MEJIBA; ZHAI, Z.; AKRAM, H.; PYE, Q.; HENSLEY, K.; KURIEN, BJ; SCOTFIELD, H.; RAMIREZ DC
Revista:
MUTATION RESEARCH. GENETIC TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MUTAGENESIS
Editorial:
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
Referencias:
Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2009 vol. 674 p. 62 - 72
ISSN:
1383-5718
Resumen:
Human life expectancy and welfare has decreased because of the increase
in environmental stressors in the air. An environmental stressor is a
natural or human-made component present in our environment that upon
reaching an organic system produces a coordinated response. This
response usually involves a modification of the metabolism and
physiology of the system. Inhaled environmental stressors damage the
airways and lung parenchyma, producing irritation, recruitment of
inflammatory cells, and oxidative modification of biomolecules.
Oxidatively modified biomolecules, their degradation products, and
adducts with other biomolecules can reach the systemic circulation, and
when found in higher concentrations than normal they are considered to
be biomarkers of systemic oxidative stress and inflammation. We classify
them as metabolic stressors because they are not inert compounds;
indeed, they amplify the inflammatory response by inducing inflammation
in the lung and other organs. Thus the lung is not only the target for
environmental stressors, but it is also the source of a number of
metabolic stressors that can induce and worsen pre-existing chronic
inflammation. Metabolic stressors produced in the lung have a number of
effects in tissues other than the lung, such as the brain, and they can
also abrogate the mechanisms of immunotolerance. In this review, we
discuss recent published evidence that suggests that inflammation in the
lung is an important connection between air pollution and chronic
inflammatory diseases such as autoimmunity and neurodegeneration, and we
highlight the critical role of metabolic stressors produced in the
lung. The understanding of this relationship between inhaled
environmental pollutants and systemic inflammation will help us to: (1)
understand the molecular mechanism of environment-associated diseases,
and (2) find new biomarkers that will help us prevent the exposure of
susceptible individuals and/or design novel therapies.