Role of iron and oxidative stress in the exacerbation of allergic inflammation in murine lungs caused by urban particulate matter <2.5 μm and desert dust

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Simultaneous exposure of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and urban particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) or desert dust exacerbated murine asthma. In the present study, the role of iron (Fe) contained in particles and oxidative stress was investigated using Fe chelator deferoxamine (DFO) and oxidative stress scavenger <jats:italic>N</jats:italic>‐acetylcysteine (NAC) in a murine asthma model exacerbated by LPS + PM2.5 or LPS + Asian sand dust (ASD). When BALB/c mice were intratracheally challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) + LPS and either urban PM2.5 or ASD, LPS + PM2.5 and LPS + ASD caused exacerbation of OVA‐induced lung eosinophilia along with T‐helper 2 cytokine and eosinophil‐relevant chemokine production in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as well as the production of OVA‐specific IgE in serum. LPS + PM2.5 with NAC tended to reduce the lung eosinophilia compared to the LPS + PM2.5 host, whereas LPS + PM2.5 with DFO did not reduce them. LPS + ASD with NAC moderately reduced the lung eosinophilia compared to the LPS + ASD host. LPS + ASD with DFO drastically reduced the lung eosinophilia compared to the LPS + ASD host. The concentration of Fe in urban PM2.5 and ASD were almost the same. However, the concentrations of trace metals Pb, Cu, As, Ni, Cr, Mo, Sb, Co, Se and Cd were greater in PM2.5 than in ASD. These results suggested that Fe and oxidative stress are at least partly involved in lung eosinophilia exacerbation caused by LPS + ASD. However, trace metals (except Fe) might also be involved in lung eosinophilia exacerbated by LPS + PM2.5.</jats:p>