The Effect of Diesel Engine Particles on Peritoneal Macrophages Activity in Normal and Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Mice

Backgrounds and Air pollution affects the immune system in ways yet partially understood. One of the important pollutants is diesel engine particles (DEP). In this study, the effects of these particles on the peritoneal macrophages activity in normal and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice was investigated.
Subjects and Female C57BL/6 mice, aged 8–10 weeks, divided into 4 groups. EAE was induced via injection of MOG35-55 suspended in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and pertussis toxin. The treatment groups received intra peritoneal 5µg/mice of DEP suspended in PBS for 21 days. PBS was injected to control groups. Body weight, nitric oxide and the activity peritoneal macrophages were evaluated.
There was significant increase in level of nitric oxide in DEP-injected normal mice (P These data indicate that although DEP may causes an increase in nitric oxide production of peritoneal macrophages in normal mice but increases macrophage death in EAE mice. So, the effect of pollutants in normal and EAE mice differs considerably and it should be considered for further investigation to clarify the exact mechanisms.