In utero exposure to arsenic alters lung development and genes related to immune and mucociliary function in mice.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Exposure to arsenic via drinking water is a global environmental health problem. In utero exposure to arsenic via drinking water increases the risk of lower respiratory tract infections during infancy and mortality from bronchiectasis in early adulthood.

Objectives

We aimed to investigate how arsenic exposure in early life alters lung development and pathways involved in innate immunity.

Methods

Pregnant BALB/c, C57BL/6, and C3H/HeARC mice were exposed to 0 (control) or 100 μg/L arsenic via drinking water from gestation day 8 until the birth of their offspring. We measured somatic growth, lung volume, and lung mechanics of mice at 2 weeks of age. We used fixed lungs for structural analysis and collected lung tissue for gene expression analysis by microarray

SUBMITTER: Ramsey KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3569690 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature