Fine particle-induced birth defects: Impacts of size, payload, and beyond

Worldwide epidemiological studies have shown that exposures to particulate matters (PMs), such as PM_2.5 or PM₁₀, during pregnancy cause birth defects in the newborn. Although mechanistic understanding of such effects are not available, recent research using murine models highlights some key progress: (1) toxicity caused by PMs is a combined effects of particles and the adsorbed toxic pollutants, such as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, bacteria, and virus. Fine particles may hold on to pollutants and, therefore, reduce their toxicity or enhance the toxicity by carrying pollutants crossing the placental barrier; (2) smaller size, certain particle surface chemistry modifications, early developmental stage of placenta, and maternal diseases all aggravate PM-induced birth defects; (3) molecular events involved in such toxicity are begin to emerge: induction of oxidative stress, DNA damage, and alteration of molecular signaling or epigenetic events are some possible causes. Despite this progress, a clear understanding of PM-induced birth defects awaits further breakthroughs on many fronts, including epidemiological studies, animal models, nanotoxicity, and molecular mechanism investigations. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 108:196–206, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.