Could Traffic-Related Air Pollution Be Contributing to Alzheimer's Disease?

In Irvine, traffic-related air pollution was found to lead to memory loss and cognitive decline and in turn activated neurological pathways linked to Alzheimers disease. “The link between air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease is concerning, as the prevalence of toxicants in ambient air is not just on the rise globally, but also hitting close to home here in Irvine,” said corresponding and senior author Masashi Kitazawa, Ph.D., associate professor of environmental and occupational health in UCI’s Program in Public Health. “Our findings are just one example of what particulate matter can do to brain function” (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Exposure to quasi-ultrafine particulate matter accelerates memory impairment and AD neuropathology in the AppNL-G-F knock-in mouse model

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The study’s results are published in the journal Toxicological Sciences.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among the elderly and is a growing public health crisis in the U.S. as well as several other countries (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Dementia

Go to source). Despite extensive research on all aspects of Alzheimer’s disease, its exact origins remain elusive.

Kitazawa and his team compared mouse models at two ages. Researchers exposed a group of 3- and 9-month-old mouse models to ultrafine particulate matter for 12 weeks via ambient air collected in Irvine. A second group was exposed to purified air. The differing ages were used to determine the potential impact of particulate matter exposure during highly vulnerable life stages: developing youth and the elderly.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Air Pollution on Brain Health?

Researchers conducted testing related to memory tasks and cognitive function and found that both benchmarks were impaired by exposure to particulate matter. Notably, they also discovered that their older models (12 months at the time of analysis) showed brain plaque build-up and glial cell activation, which are both known to increase inflammation associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Air pollution is one of the very few prominent, modifiable environmental risk factors in Alzheimer’s disease,” said co-author Michael Kleinman, Ph.D., adjunct professor of environmental and occupational health in UCI’s Program in Public Health.

Kitazawa added, “This evidence is alarming, and it’s imperative that we take action to adopt effective and evidence-based regulations, spread awareness on lifestyle changes and work together to improve our air quality.”

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References:

1. Exposure to quasi-ultrafine particulate matter accelerates memory impairment and AD neuropathology in the AppNL-G-F knock-in mouse model - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37074955/)
2. Dementia - World Health Organization (WHO) - (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia)

Source-Eurekalert