Effects of exaust diesel particulate on estrogen and aril hydrocarbon receptors

• Grant number: 17/06768-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2017
• End date: June 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Toxicology
• Principal Investigator: Mariangela Macchione
• Grantee: Juliane Nunes de Almeida Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Pollution has now become a major problem for residents of large cities, with several indices such as CETESB in São Paulo and WHO showing that air quality has drastically reduced the quality of life of millions of people and that one of the vectors that have contributed a lot to the emission of these toxic pollutants are the automotive vehicles, mainly those diesel powered, capable of emitting a much larger number of pollutants. It is believed that organic compounds present in air pollution play important roles as endocrine disrupters, interfering with the normal functioning of the endocrine system by mimicking and / or antagonizing hormones, via interaction with receptors for steroid hormones. Thus, studies of ER and AhR receptors and their reciprocal interconnections will elucidate the harmful effects of air pollutants as well as clarify how their signal transduction pathways within cells and their implications work. In view of these data the present project aims to study the behavior of estrogen and aryl hydrocarbon receptors, occurring in human airway epithelial cells, exposed to increasing concentrations of estrogen and testosterone, and to diesel particulate matter (DEP). (AU)