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Formaldehyde (FA) is an environmental and occupational pollutant that induces programming mechanisms on the acquired immune host defense in offspring when exposed during the prenatal period. Hence, here we investigated whether the exposure of FA on pregnant rats could affect the development of an innate acute lung injury in offspring induced by lipopolissacaride (LPS) injection. Pregnant Wistar rats were exposed to FA (0.92 mg/m(3)) or vehicle (distillated water), both 1 h/day, 5 days/week, from 1 to 21 days of pregnancy. Non-manipulated rats were used as control. After 30 days of birth, the offspring was submitted to injection of LPS (Salmonella abortus equi, 5 mg/kg, i.p.). Systemic and lung inflammatory parameters were evaluated 24 h later. Exposure to FA during gestation abolished the development of acute lung injury in offspring, as observed by reduced number of leukocytes in the bronchoalveolar fluid (BAL), in the blood and in the bone marrow, and decreased myeloperoxidase activity in the lung. Moreover, phagocytes from BAL presented normal phagocytosis, but reduced oxidative burst. Alterations on the profile of inflammatory cytokines were evidenced by reduced mRNA levels of IL-6 and elevated levels of IL-10 and IFN gamma in the lung tissue. Indeed, mRNA levels of toll-likereceptor-4 and nuclear factor-kappa B translocation into the nucleus were also reduced. Additionally, hyperresponsiveness to methacholine was blunted in the trachea of offspring of FA exposed mothers. Together, our data clearly show that FA exposure in the prenatal period modifies the programming mechanisms of the innate defense in the offspring leading to impaired defense against infections., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Formaldehyde (FA) is an indoor and outdoor pollutant widely used by many industries, and its exposure is associated with inflammation and oxidative stress in the airways. Our previous studies have demonstrated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lung inflammation induced by FA inhalation but did not identify source of the ROS. In the present study, we investigate the effects of FA on the activities and gene expression of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) 1 and 2, catalase (CAT), nitric oxide synthase (iNOS and cNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX) 1 and 2. The hypothesized link between NADPH-oxidase, nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase, the lung inflammation after FA inhalation was also investigated. For experiments, male Wistar rats were submitted to FA inhalation (1%, 90 min daily) for 3 consecutive days. The treatments with apocynin and indomethacin before the FA exposure reduced the number of neutrophils recruited into the lung. Moreover, the treatments with apocynin and indomethacin blunted the effect of FA on the generation of IL-1β, while the treatments with L-NAME and apocynin reduced the generation of IL-6 by lung explants when compared to the untreated group. FA inhalation increased the levels of NO and hydrogen peroxide by BAL cells cultured and the treatments with apocynin and l-NAME reduced these generations. FA inhalation did not modify the activities of GPX, GR, GST and CAT but reduced the activity of SOD when compared to the naïve group. Significant increases in SOD-1 and -2, CAT, iNOS, cNOS and COX-1 expression were observed in the FA group compared to the naïve group. The treatments with apocynin, indomethacin and L-NAME reduced the gene expression of antioxidant and oxidant enzymes. In conclusion, our results indicate that FA causes a disruption of the physiological balance between oxidant and antioxidant enzymes in lung tissue, most likely favoring the oxidant pathways and thus positively modulating lung inflammation., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)