Anthropogenic particles are found in dust storms, volcanic ash, and the burning of fossil fuels. Rapidly increasing exposure to anthropogenic particulate pollution (e.g., industrial emissions, combustion-based engines) and man-made engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) represents a major global health concern today. Recent epidemiological studies demonstrate the correlation between ambient particulate air pollution and cardiovascular events. This is a special concern given that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.

We use our expertise in nanoparticles and chemistry to elucidate interactions of cardiovascular health and anthropogenic particulate pollution. We investigated the role of immune and vascular cells in particulate matter air pollution. We hypothesized that inhaled particulate matter could lead to oxidation of lipids in the lung, which causes oxidative stress and inflammation. To test this, we performed quantitative analysis of the different lipid species within lungs of mice exposed to air pollution. We developed mass-spectrometry protocols that would identify oxidation-associated lipids and cholesterols in the lung. We discovered that mice exposed to air pollution express large amounts of oxidized lipids and 7-ketocholesterol, which in turn serve as potent signaling molecules to initiate inflammation. These findings offer new avenues for therapeutic approaches to cardiovascular disease and identify previously unknown, deleterious effects of particulate matter on cardiovascular health.

We Published These!

• Liu C, Fonken LK, Wang A, Maiseyeu A, Bai Y, Wang T-Y, Maurya S, Ko Y-A, Periasamy M, Dvonch T, Morishita M, Brook RD, Harkema J, Ying Z, Mukherjee B, Sun Q, Nelson RJ, Rajagopalan S. Central IKKβ inhibition prevents air pollution mediated peripheral inflammation and exaggeration of type II diabetes. Part Fibre Toxicol. 2014;11:53. 
• Deiuliis JA, Kampfrath T, Zhong J, Oghumu S, Maiseyeu A, Chen LC, Sun Q, Satoskar AR, Rajagopalan S. Pulmonary T cell activation in response to chronic particulate air pollution. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2012;302:L399–409. 
• Xu X, Rao X, Wang T-Y, Jiang SY, Ying Z, Liu C, Wang A, Zhong M, Deiuliis JA, Maiseyeu A, Rajagopalan S, Lippmann M, Chen L-C, Sun Q. Effect of co-exposure to nickel and particulate matter on insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction in a mouse model. Part Fibre Toxicol. 2012;9:40.
• Sun L, Liu C, Xu X, Ying Z, Maiseyeu A, Wang A, Allen K, Lewandowski RP, Bramble LA, Morishita M, Wagner JG, Dvonch J, Sun Z, Yan X, Brook RD, Rajagopalan S, Harkema JR, Sun Q, Fan Z. Ambient fine particulate matter and ozone exposures induce inflammation in epicardial and perirenal adipose tissues in rats fed a high fructose diet. Part Fibre Toxicol. 2013;10:43. 
• Kampfrath T, Maiseyeu A, Ying Z, Shah Z, Deiuliis JA, Xu X, Kherada N, Brook RD, Reddy KM, Padture NP, Parthasarathy S, Chen LC, Moffatt-Bruce S, Sun Q, Morawietz H, Rajagopalan S. Chronic fine particulate matter exposure induces systemic vascular dysfunction via NADPH oxidase and TLR4 pathways. Circ Res. 2011;108:716–726. 
• Liu C, Xu X, Bai Y, Wang T-Y, Rao X, Wang A, Sun L, Ying Z, Gushchina L, Maiseyeu A, Morishita M, Sun Q, Harkema JR, Rajagopalan S. Air pollution-mediated susceptibility to inflammation and insulin resistance: influence of CCR2 pathways in mice. Environ Health Perspect. 2014;122:17–26. 
• Maiseyeu A, Yang H-Y, Ramanathan G, Yin F, Bard RL, Morishita M, Dvonch JT, Wang L, Spino C, Mukherjee B, Badgeley MA, Barajas-Espinosa A, Sun Q, Harkema J, Rajagopalan S, Araujo JA, Brook RD. No effect of acute exposure to coarse particulate matter air pollution in a rural location on high-density lipoprotein function. Inhal Toxicol. 2014;26:23–29. 
• Rao X, Zhong J, Maiseyeu A, Gopalakrishnan B, Villamena FA, Chen L-C, Harkema JR, Sun Q, Rajagopalan S. CD36-dependent 7-ketocholesterol accumulation in macrophages mediates progression of atherosclerosis in response to chronic air pollution exposure. Circ Res. 2014;115:770–780.