A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Finland.
Mental Health Program, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia.
Neurochem Int. 2020 Jun;136:104729. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104729. Epub 2020 Mar 19.
Air pollution is a major, global public health concern. A growing body of evidence shows that exposure to air pollutants may impair the brain. Living in highly polluted areas has been linked to several neurodegenerative diseases, where exposure to complex mixtures of air pollutants in urban environments may have harmful effects on brain function. These harmful effects are thought to originate from elevated inflammation and oxidative stress. The olfactory epithelium is a key entry site of air pollutants into the brain as the particles are deposited in the upper airways and the nasal region. A potential source of patient-derived cells for study of air pollutant effects is the olfactory mucosa, which constitutes a central part of the olfactory epithelium. This review first summarizes the current literature on the available in vitro models of the olfactory epithelium. It then describes how alterations of the olfactory mucosa are linked to neurodegeneration and discusses potential therapeutic applications of these cells for neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, it reviews the research performed on the effects of air pollutant exposure in cells of the olfactory epithelium. Patient-derived olfactory epithelial models hold great promise for not only elucidating the molecular and cellular pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders, but for providing key understanding about air pollutant particle entry and effects at this key brain entry site.
空气污染是一个主要的、全球性的公共卫生关注点。越来越多的证据表明，暴露于空气污染物可能会损害大脑。生活在污染严重的地区与多种神经退行性疾病有关，在城市环境中接触到复杂的空气污染物混合物可能对大脑功能产生有害影响。这些有害影响被认为源于炎症和氧化应激的升高。嗅觉上皮是空气污染物进入大脑的主要入口，因为这些颗粒沉积在上呼吸道和鼻腔区域。研究空气污染物影响的患者来源细胞的一个潜在来源是嗅黏膜，它构成了嗅觉上皮的核心部分。这篇综述首先总结了目前关于嗅觉上皮的可用体外模型的文献。然后描述了嗅黏膜的改变如何与神经退行性变相关联，并讨论了这些细胞在神经退行性疾病中的潜在治疗应用。最后，它回顾了在嗅觉上皮细胞中进行的空气污染物暴露研究。患者来源的嗅觉上皮模型不仅为阐明神经退行性疾病的分子和细胞病理生理学提供了巨大的希望，而且为了解空气污染物颗粒进入和在这个关键的大脑进入部位的影响提供了关键的认识。
