Extra evidence that pollution might increase dementia risk

The World Health Business (WHO) reports that around 50 millionTrusted Source persons globally have dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease, which can be an irreversible, progressive neurological state that causes memory reduction and cognitive decline, is the most common form of dementia. It makes up about around 60-80% of dementia cases.

A fresh study by experts at the University of California, Davis increases the body of research suggesting that there could be a link between traffic-related polluting of the environment and an increased threat of developing age-related dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

For their study, which now appears in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, the researchers create a rodent vivarium near a well-used traffic tunnel in Northern California. They performed this to replicate the pollution that human beings might have contact with while in traffic.

Senior analysis author Dr. Pamela Lein, a professor of neurotoxicology at the University of California, Davis, advised Medical News Today in regards to a essential difference between this exploration and other efforts.

She said, “Because epidemiologic studies provides evidence regarding the strength of association between publicity and outcome but cannot establish a cause-effect relationship, there's been a dependence on experimental animal analyses to verify causality.”

“Nevertheless,” added Dr. Lein, “the criticism of much of the published creature data to date is normally that the exposures used have certainly not faithfully mimicked individual exposures. [This is basically because the] animals have already been exposed to a subset of elements that define traffic-related air pollution and/or because animals have been exposed to very high concentrations of traffic-related air flow pollutants, often for relatively short periods of time.”

“Our review is relatively unique in that animals were subjected to ambient traffic-related air pollution in real time during the period of their lifetime, providing good info to corroborate the epidemiologic data.”

- Dr. Pamela Lein

Because of their study, the researchers exposed male and feminine rats to either filtered air or polluted air for 14 a few months. They drew the polluted oxygen from the active tunnel instantly and delivered it right to the animals unchanged.

The team divided the rats into two groups: One group comprised those who expressed Alzheimer’s disease risk genes that are highly relevant to humans, and one group comprised wild-type rats.

The experts conducted this testing in 3-, 6-, 10-, and 15-month-old rats. They quantified the expression of Alzheimer’s disease features and completed hyperspectral imaging and behavioral screening.

The researchers found that having contact with chronic traffic-related polluting of the environment accelerated and exacerbated traits highly relevant to Alzheimer’s disease in the rats who were genetically susceptible to the condition. In addition they saw the same result in wild-type rats.

“Our info demonstrated that traffic-related air pollution decreases the time to onset and escalates the severity of disease found in rats who expressed genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Lein told MNT.

This, she explained, implies “that differences in exposure histories may donate to the differing clinical profiles observed in individuals with similar genetic backgrounds.”

Interestingly, she also advised MNT that their “data recommend that even people who do not express [Alzheimer’s disease] risk genes are at heightened risk [of] Alzheimer’s disease if they're chronically subjected to [traffic-related air pollution].”

Dr. Heather Snyder, the vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, informed MNT that she appreciated that the experts behind this study are “seeking at what may be a system, what could possibly be the biological underpinnings” that donate to the starting point of Alzheimer’s disease.

She cautioned that it's too early to state how the results will translate to human beings. “Alzheimer’s, and also all factors behind dementia, are […] complex ailments, and there are likely numerous things that are adding to a person’s risk,” Dr. Snyder said.

For her portion, Dr. Lein is fired up to deal with additional research. “Our quick goal is normally to determine which component(s) of the traffic-related air pollution mediate the effects on the aging human brain,” she told MNT.

“Could it be the particulate matter, or the gases, or perhaps both? Are pieces from light duty (most cars) or heavy duty (trucks, incorporating diesel trucks) more important to advertise Alzheimer’s disease phenotypes? The response to this will come to be critically important for regulatory policymaking.”

Additionally, Dr. Lein discussed that she and the various other researchers behind this study are eager to understand how traffic-related air pollution promotes Alzheimer’s disease qualities. In addition they want to find out about windows of sensitivity.

“Do early lifestyle exposures to traffic-related polluting of the environment cause changes in the brain that manifest simply because [Alzheimer’s disease] phenotypes in later years?” she asked. “Or could it be simply exposures [in] mid-late life that are crucial for increasing risk? Or you don't need chronic publicity across life to see the effects of traffic-related polluting of the environment on the brain?”

The goal of her research, Dr. Lein told MNT, can be to identify specific environmental elements that are connected with an increased threat of developing Alzheimer’s disease. These, after all, are much easier to address than genetic risk factors.

This study and future research, Dr. Lein discussed, can help lawmakers who “want data identifying particular environmental risk factors so as to enact meaningful policy changes.”