Urban Air Pollution Targets the Dorsal Vagal Complex and Dark Chocolate Offers Neuroprotection

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Urban Air Pollution Targets the Dorsal Vagal Complex and Dark Chocolate

Offers Neuroprotection. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21030725>

Villarreal-Calderon R, -Jardon R, Palacios-Moreno J, Osnaya N,

-Guille B, Maronpot R, W, Zhu H, Calderon-Garciduenas L.

Int J Toxicol. 2010 Oct 28.

Mexico City (MC) residents exposed to fine particulate matter and

endotoxin exhibit inflammation of the olfactory bulb, substantia nigra,

and vagus nerve. The goal of this study was to model these endpoints in

mice and examine the neuroprotective effects of chocolate. Mice exposed

to MC air received no treatment or oral dark chocolate and were compared

to clean-air mice either untreated or treated intraperitoneally with

endotoxin. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1?), and

CD14 messenger RNA (mRNA) were quantified after 4, 8, and 16 months of

exposure in target brain regions. After 16 months of exposure, the

dorsal vagal complex (DVC) exhibited significant inflammation in

endotoxin-treated and MC mice (COX-2 and IL-1? P < .001). Mexico City

mice had olfactory bulb upregulation of CD14 (P = .002) and significant

DVC imbalance in genes for antioxidant defenses, apoptosis, and

neurodegeneration. These findings demonstrate sustained DVC inflammation

in mice exposed to MC air, which is mitigated by chocolate administration.

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