PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Kelly Yoshizaki AU - Jose Mara Brito AU - Thaís Moraes do Nascimento Santos AU - Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva AU - Luiz Fernando Ferraz da Silva AU - Thaís Mauad AU - Mariangela Macchione TI - Gender differences in the pulmonary acute inflammatory response to concentrated ambient particles in mice DP - 2012 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - P4004 VI - 40 IP - Suppl 56 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P4004.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P4004.full SO - Eur Respir J2012 Sep 01; 40 AB - The reason why the female gender has a significantly higher risk factor to respiratory illnesses compared to males is not known, although some researchers speculate that sex hormones may interfere in the proneness to these diseases. The physiologic hormonal fluctuation during the menstrual cycle is known to induce changes in nasal epithelium and lung inflammation. The aim of this study is to analyze how the hormonal cycling of female mice is affected by near-ambient levels of pollution. Particulate matter (PM) was concentrated by an ambient particle concentrator (APC). 14 Male (M) Balb/C mice were divided into two groups: without exposure to PM (M/A;control group) and exposed to PM. 28 Female Balb/C were divided into four groups, according to the estrous cycle. Only female mice from proestrus (PE) and estrus (E) were enrolled. Those from PE were divided into two subgroups: with and without exposure to PM (PE/PM and PE/A). Mice from E were also divided into two subgroups: with and without exposure to PM (E/PM and E/A). Neutral and acidic nasal mucus content was quantified in epithelium through morphometry. Inflammatory cells were analyzed by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). APC exposure in M/PM increased both neutrophils in BAL (p=0.031) and neutral mucus content (p=0.016) from nasal epithelium, when compared to PE/PM. No statistical difference was observed to E/PM. In the M/A group, it was observed an increase in both total BAL (p=0.042) and macrophages (p=0.043) when compared to PE/A. These findings indicate that near-ambient levels of PM exposure promoted a higher neutrophil recruitment in male than in female mice in proestrus.