Air Pollution might up Autism, Schizophrenia Risk

New study finds link between air pollution and autism.

University of Rochester Medical Center researchers have found that exposure to air pollution early in life can lead to changes in brains of mice. The test models showed enlargement of brain areas that are typically seen in schizophrenia or autism patients.

Research has shown that ultrafine pollution particulate matter can embed itself in lungs and cause several health problems. In fact, the International Agency for Research (IARC) on Cancer recently classified outdoor air pollution as a carcinogen. The present study looked at the effects of these small particles on brains of young mice.

"Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that air pollution may play a role in autism, as well as in other neurodevelopmental disorders," said Deborah Cory-Slechta, Ph.D., professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester and lead author of the study, according to a news release.

For the study, researchers exposed newborn mice to air pollutants. The animals were exposed to the unhealthy air for about four hours each day for around eight days.

Researchers examined brains of one set of mice after 24 hours. They found inflammation in almost all regions of the brain. The lateral ventricles, which are cerebrospinal fluid-containing chambers, were two to three times larger than those seen in normal brains.

 "When we looked closely at the ventricles, we could see that the white matter that normally surrounds them hadn't fully developed," said Cory-Slechta.  "It appears that inflammation had damaged those brain cells and prevented that region of the brain from developing, and the ventricles simply expanded to fill the space."

Inflammation was seen in mice brain 40 and 270 days after air pollution exposure, indicating that the damage was permanent. Additionally, researchers found an increase in glutamate levels, which is seen in humans with autism.

The study was funded by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and is published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.