UCLA study ~ tiny levels of carbon monoxide damage fetal brains

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UCLA Press Release

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UCLA study reveals how tiny levels of carbon monoxide damage fetal brains

Exposure could make them more vulnerable to disease

By

Elaine Schmidt

| 6/25/2009 9:10:00 AM

A UCLA study has discovered that chronic exposure during pregnancy to

miniscule levels of carbon monoxide damages the cells of the fetal brain,

resulting in permanent impairment. The journal BMC (BioMed Central )

Neuroscience published the findings June 22 in its online edition.

" We expected the placenta to protect fetuses from the mother’s exposure to

tiny amounts of carbon monoxide,†said Edmond, professor emeritus of

biological chemistry at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. " But

we found that not to be the case. " The researchers exposed pregnant rats

to 25 parts per million carbon monoxide in the air, an exposure level

established as safe by Cal/OSHA, California’s division of occupational health

and

safety.

Dr. Ivan , UCLA associate professor of head and neck surgery, tested

the rats’ litters 20 days after birth. Rats born to animals who had inhaled

the gas suffered chronic oxidative stress, a harmful condition caused by

an excess of harmful free radicals or insufficient antioxidants. " Oxidative

stress damaged the baby rats’ brain cells, leading to a drop in proteins

essential for proper function, " said . " Oxidative stress is a risk

factor linked to many disorders, including autism, cancer, Alzheimer’s,

Parkinson’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular

disease.

We know that it exacerbates disease.â€

" We believe that the minute levels of carbon monoxide in the mother rats’

environment made their offspring more vulnerable to illness, " added Edmond.

" Our findings highlight the need for policy makers to tighten their

regulation of carbon monoxide. " Tobacco smoke, gas heaters, stoves and ovens

all

emit carbon monoxide, which can rise to high concentrations in

well-insulated homes. Infants and children are particularly vulnerable to

carbon

monoxide exposure because they spend a great deal of time in the home. No

policies exist to regulate the gas in the home. Most commercial home monitors

sound an alarm only hours after concentrations reaches 70 parts per million —

nearly three times the 25 parts per million limit set by Cal/OSHA.

A grant from the University of California’s Tobacco-related Disease

Research Program supported the research.

For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom.

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