|
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
Lilian Calderon-Garciduenas, MD, PhD.
Assistant Professor
Department of Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences
Environmental Toxicology
University of Montana
website: http://pace.dbs.umt.edu/WISPages/CalderonGarciduenas.htm
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Topic:
|
|
“Air Pollution Effects on Children's Brain Pathology,
Structure and Function” |
|
| |
|
|
There is mounting evidence that exposure to air pollution can cause stroke-related sickness and death, as well as brain damage, and neurodegeneration. Children are a population at risk since childhood and adolescence are crucial periods of brain development associated with dynamic behavioral, cognitive and emotional changes. There is an important knowledge gap regarding the impact that chronic exposure to air pollution has on cognitive performance, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration in healthy children with no other risk factors for neurological diseases. Children living in Mexico City exhibit evidence of chronic inflammation of the upper and lower respiratory tracts, alterations in circulating inflammatory mediators, and breakdown of the nasal respiratory epithelium. These children also have elevated levels of plasma endothelin-1, a potent vasoconstrictor peptide involved in the homeostatic regulation of the cerebral microcirculation and up regulated after exposure to air pollutants including particulate matter (PM). We have documented MRI prefrontal brain lesions and cognitive deficits in children exposed to ambient air pollution in Mexico City. Comparative frontal MRI lesions
were present in similarly exposed laboratory housed young Mexico City dogs and subsequent histological and molecular analysis of the dog brains identified neuroinflammatory changes in the frontal cortex and white
matter tracts. Our studies suggests a link between cognitive dysfunction/structural alterations to children brains and chronic exposure to significant concentrations of air pollutants, including particulate matter. The issue of air pollution causing cognitive deficits and brain structural changes in healthy children with all their potential consequences ought to be of major public importance.
|
|
| |
When:
|
|
Monday, March 10, 2008
12:00PM – 1:00PM
|
|
| |
Location:
|
|
BALDWIN AUDITORIUM, LURIE BUILDING
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Selected Recent References for Lilian Calderon-Garciduenas, MD, PhD.
Calderón-Garcidueñas L, Vincent R, Mora-Tiscareño A, Franco-Lira M, Henríquez-Roldán C, Barragán-Mejía G, Garrido-García L, Camacho-Reyes L, Valencia-Salazar G, Paredes R, Romero L, Osnaya H, Villarreal-Calderón R, Torres-Jardón R, Hazucha MJ, Reed W. Elevated plasma endothelin-1 and pulmonary arterial pressure in children exposed to air pollution. Environ Health Perspect. 2007 Aug;115(8):1248-53.
Thomson EM, Kumarathasan P, Calderón-Garcidueñas L, Vincent R. Air pollution alters brain and pituitary endothelin-1 and inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression. Environ Res. 2007 Oct;105(2):224-33. Epub 2007 Jul 30.
He W, Greenwell RJ, Brooks DM, Calderón-Garcidueñas L, Beall HD, Coffin JD. Arsenic exposure in pregnant mice disrupts placental vasculogenesis and causes spontaneous abortion. Toxicol Sci. 2007 Sep;99(1):244-53. Epub 2007 Jun 14.
Calderón-Garcidueñas L, Franco-Lira M, Torres-Jardón R, Henriquez-Roldán C, Barragán-Mejía G, Valencia-Salazar G, González-Maciel A, Reynoso-Robles R, Villarreal-Calderón R, Reed W. Pediatric respiratory and systemic effects of chronic air pollution exposure: nose, lung, heart, and brain pathology. Toxicol Pathol. 2007;35(1):154-62. Review.
Calderón-Garcidueñas L, Mora-Tiscareño A, Fordham LA, Chung CJ, Valencia-Salazar G, Flores-Gómez S, Solt AC, Gomez-del Campo A, Jardón-Torres R, Henríquez-Roldán C, Hazucha MJ, Reed W. Lung radiology and pulmonary function of children chronically exposed to air pollution. Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Sep;114(9):1432-7.
 View more Publications by Lilian Calderon-Garciduenas, MD, PhD ;
listed in the National Library of Medicine (PubMed) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
