Magnetic resonance imaging investigations reveal that PM2.5 exposure triggers visual dysfunction in mice

Linying Guo; He Wang; Ji Zhou; Weijun Tang; Rong Wang; Zebin Xiao; Lingjie Wu; Jie Wang; Liping Li; Yuan Lei; Xinghuai Sun; Zuohua Tang

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety (Dec 2021)

Magnetic resonance imaging investigations reveal that PM2.5 exposure triggers visual dysfunction in mice

Linying Guo,
He Wang,
Ji Zhou,
Weijun Tang,
Rong Wang,
Zebin Xiao,
Lingjie Wu,
Jie Wang,
Liping Li,
Yuan Lei,
Xinghuai Sun,
Zuohua Tang

Affiliations

Linying Guo: Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
He Wang: Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, China
Ji Zhou: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Meteorology and Health, Shanghai Meteorological Bureau, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Typhoon Institute, CMA, Shanghai 200030, China; Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
Weijun Tang: Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
Rong Wang: Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
Zebin Xiao: Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 22, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
Lingjie Wu: Department of Ear, Nose & Throat, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
Jie Wang: Department of Radiotherapy, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
Liping Li: Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
Yuan Lei: Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; Correspondence to: Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Eye Institute, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.
Xinghuai Sun: Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Corresponding author at: Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.
Zuohua Tang: Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; Correspondence to: Department of Radiology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 227
p. 112866

Abstract

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Objectives: To investigate how PM2.5 exposure affects the microstructure, metabolites or functions of the visual system. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to groups exposed to the filtered air (the control group) or the concentrated ambient PM2.5 (the PM2.5 group). Visual evoked potentials (VEP), electroretinograms (ERG), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) were performed. Parameters were obtained and compared between the two groups, including latencies and amplitudes of the P1 wave, N1 wave and P2 wave from VEP, latencies and amplitudes of the a wave and b wave from ERG, fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusion (MD), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) from DTI, visual cortex (VC) metabolites from 1H-MRS, and regional homogeneity (ReHo) from rsfMRI. Results: Compared with the values of the control group, the PM2.5 group showed a prolonged N1 latency (43.11 ± 7.94 ms vs. 38.75 ± 4.60 ms) and lowered P1 amplitude (5.62 ± 4.38 μV vs. 8.56 ± 5.92 μV) on VEP (all p < 0.05). On ERG, the amplitude of the a wave was lowered (− 91.39 ± 56.29 μV vs. − 138.68 ± 89.05 μV), the amplitude of the b wave was lowered (194.38 ± 126.27 μV vs. 284.72 ± 170.99 μV), and the latency of the b wave was prolonged (37.78 ± 10.72 ms vs. 33.01 ± 4.34 ms) than the values of the control group (all p < 0.05). DTI indicated FA increase in the bilateral piriform cortex (Pir), FA decrease in the bilateral somatosensory cortex (S) and the bilateral striatum (Stri), AD decrease in the bilateral VC, the right S and the bilateral Pir, MD decrease in the bilateral Pir, and RD decrease in the bilateral Pir in the PM2.5 mice (all p < 0.05, Alphasim corrected). 1H-MRS showed Glutamate (Glu) increase and Phosphocholine (PCh) increase in the VC of the PM2.5 group than those of the control group (PCh 1.63 ± 0.25 vs. 1.50 ± 0.25; PCh/total creatine(tCr) 0.19 ± 0.03 vs. 0.18 ± 0.03; Glu 10.46 ± 1.50 vs. 9.60 ± 1.19; Glu/tcr 1.23 ± 0.11 vs. 1.12 ± 0.11) (all p < 0.05). rsfMRI showed higher ReHo in the PM2.5 mice in the left superior colliculus, the left motor cortex, the hippocampus, the periaqueductal gray and the right mesencephalic reticular formation (all p < 0.01, AlphaSim corrected). Conclusions: This study revealed that PM2.5 exposure triggered visual dysfunction, and altered microstructure, metabolite and function in the retina and visual brain areas along the visual system.

Published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

ISSN: 0147-6513 (Print); 1090-2414 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Technology: Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering: Environmental pollution; Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/ecotoxicology-and-environmental-safety

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