Mass Spectrometry Imaging Revealed Sulfatides Depletion in Brain Tissues of Rats Exposed in Real Air with High Fine Particulate Matter

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure remains a great health risk worldwide. Epidemiological evidence suggests a possible association between neurodegeneration and PM2.5 exposure. In the present study, cutting-edge mass spectrometry imaging techniques were implemented to investigate the spatial distribution of lipids in rat brains after real ambient exposure to air with high PM2.5 levels. For the first time, a significant reduction of sulfatides in the brain stem and corpus callosum of PM-exposed rats was observed. Further validation using isolated corpus callosum tissues showed that in addition to decreased sulfatides expression levels of neuroinflammation markers including cytokines, microglial, and astrocyte activation markers were significantly upregulated in the PM-exposure group. Our data, therefore, provides a possible association between PM exposure and neurological damage, via sulfatides reduction and associated neuroinflammation in the corpus callosum region of PM-exposed rat brains.