Filtered air intervention reduces inflammation and hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis activation in adult male and female rats after PM 2.5 exposure

Previous studies have indicated that particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) exposure stimulates systemic inflammation and activates the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, both of which are associated with stroke incidence and mortality. However, whether filtered air (FA) intervention modulates inflammation and HPA axis activation is still largely unknown. For FA group and PM2.5 group, adult Sprague-Dawley male and female rats were exposed to FA or PM2.5 for 6 months, respectively. For PM2.5 + 15 days FA group, the rats were achieved by receiving 15 days FA after PM2.5 exposure for 6 months. The immune cells and inflammatory biomarker levels in the blood and brain were analyzed by flow cytometry, ELISA, and qRT-PCR. To assess HPA axis activation, the levels of hormones in the blood were also analyzed by ELISA. FA intervention increased the percentage of CD4 T cells and T cells in the blood, which had decreased after PM2.5 exposure in both male and female rats. The ELISA and qRT-PCR results showed that FA intervention significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory biomarkers in the peripheral blood, and alleviated neuroinflammation in the cortex, hippocampus, and striatum. In addition, FA intervention also inhibited the inflammation in the hypothalamus and pituitary and adrenal glands, and decreased the levels of HPA axis hormones. Our results indicate that FA intervention exerts a protective effect on the brain by decreasing inflammation and HPA axis activation after PM2.5 exposure in both male and female rats.