Pre- and Postnatal Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Renal Fibrogenesis in Adult Male Rats: The Role of Vitamin D Supplementation
2025
Min-Hwa Son | Hyung-Eun Yim | Yu-Seon Lee | Yoon-Jeong Nam | Ju-Han Lee
Prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) has been implicated in accelerated aging, including organ fibrosis. This study aimed to investigate whether prenatal and postnatal PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure promotes renal fibrogenesis in adulthood and whether long-term vitamin D supplementation alleviates associated renal injury. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups: control (normal saline, NS), PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure, and PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure with vitamin D supplementation during gestation and lactation (<i>n</i> = 3/group). Male offspring were subsequently exposed to the same conditions from postnatal weeks 3 to 8 (<i>n</i> = 7/group). On postnatal day 56, PM<sub>2.5</sub>-exposed rats showed lower body weight and more severe glomerular and tubulointerstitial damage compared to controls. Serum calcium levels were elevated in the PM<sub>2.5</sub> group. The expression of intrarenal renin, transforming growth factor-β1, α-smooth muscle actin, and vimentin was upregulated, accompanied by increased collagen deposition. Long-term vitamin D supplementation reversed most of these changes, except for intrarenal vimentin expression and serum calcium levels. These findings indicate that prenatal and postnatal PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure can activate intrarenal renin signaling and fibrogenic pathways, contributing to renal fibrosis later in life. Long-term vitamin D supplementation may provide partial protective effects against PM<sub>2.5</sub>-induced renal fibrogenesis.
显示更多 [+] 显示较少 [-]