低濃度環境中化学物質曝露がアレルギー症状に及ぼす影響

抄録

Allergic diseases are becoming more common in modern society. Contribution of multiple factors such as an environmental source, a genetic factor, dietary habit, and bacterial flora may complicate the story, therefore, in this session, we focus on the influence of low-dose chemical exposure as one of the environmental sources on the development of allergic diseases based on our recent evidences.

Contamination of mycotoxins in food and feed commodities is a serious problem worldwide; therefore, governments around the globe have strengthened countermeasures against mycotoxins through development of detection methods and disease-resistant crop varieties and continuous review of safety standards. Our recent study demonstrated that oral exposure to the Fusarium mycotoxins deoxinivalenol and fumonisins, which are currently considered a major food safety risk for both human and animals, significantly influence the allergic development in mouse models.

The effects of chemical air pollutants such as ozone have also been risking factors for respiratory diseases. Recently, we investigated that the acceptable concentration (0.1 ppm) of ozone exposure significantly influenced the percutaneous oxygen saturation in a mouse model of allergic asthma. In addition, impact of removing the chemicals by chemical filter on allergic development was also examined. Our findings indicated that mice with clean air significantly improved the asthmatic symptoms, therefore, low concentration of chemicals in atmosphere can influence the lung and immune function in allergic diseases.