Associations of environmental pollution with pro-oxidant, antioxidant and inflammatory markers in pregnant mothers and newborns

Antonin Ambroz; Jiri Klema; Andrea Rossnerova; Alena Milcova; Anna Pastorkova; Jana Pulkrabova; Ondrej Parizek; Veronika Gomersall; Tomas Gramblicka; Jaroslav Zelenka; Tomas Ruml; Nikola Vrzackova; Milos Veleminsky; Newroz Hasan; Jan Topinka; Radim J Sram; Pavel Rossner

doi:10.3389/ftox.2025.1572486

Associations of environmental pollution with pro-oxidant, antioxidant and inflammatory markers in pregnant mothers and newborns

Front Toxicol. 2025 Apr 29:7:1572486. doi: 10.3389/ftox.2025.1572486. eCollection 2025.

Authors

Antonin Ambroz¹, Jiri Klema², Andrea Rossnerova¹, Alena Milcova¹, Anna Pastorkova¹, Jana Pulkrabova³, Ondrej Parizek³, Veronika Gomersall³, Tomas Gramblicka³, Jaroslav Zelenka⁴, Tomas Ruml⁴, Nikola Vrzackova⁴, Milos Veleminsky^{5

6}, Newroz Hasan⁷, Jan Topinka¹, Radim J Sram^#¹, Pavel Rossner¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Toxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine CAS, Prague, Czechia.
² Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czechia.
³ Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Czechia.
⁴ Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Czechia.
⁵ Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.
⁶ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital Ceske Budejovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.
⁷ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital Karvina-Raj, Karvina, Czechia.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze the variables that modify the levels of oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in non-smoking mothers and their newborns from environmentally distinct localities of the Czech Republic: Ceske Budejovice (CB, an agricultural region) and Karvina (an industrial region). Personal, socio-economic and medical data, concentrations of particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in the ambient air, the activities of antioxidant mechanisms (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase) and antioxidant capacity), the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, the concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in blood plasma/cord blood plasma and urinary levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons metabolites (OH-PAHs) were investigated as parameters potentially affecting the markers of DNA oxidation (8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine, 8-oxodG) and lipid peroxidation (15-F₂t-isoprostane, 15-F₂t-IsoP). Significantly higher levels of POPs were detected in the plasma of mothers/newborns from CB (p < 0.001), while increased external levels of B[a]P and PM2.5, confirmed by analyzing urinary OH-PAHs, were found in Karvina subjects (p < 0.001). In mothers, multivariate analysis showed no significant difference in oxidative stress markers (15-F₂t-IsoP, 8-oxodG) between the two localities. The analysis further revealed that neither in CB nor, unexpectedly, in Karvina, did PAH exposure affect maternal lipid peroxidation. Significant associations between OH-PAHs and 15-F₂t-IsoP or 8-oxodG were observed only in newborns. In addition, multivariate analyses revealed a borderline significant association between locality and 8-oxodG in the urine of all newborns (p = 0.05). In conclusion, not only the maternal exposure of PAHs but also some POPs can negatively affect oxidative stress status in the early-life of newborns.

Keywords: antioxidant response and inflammatory cytokines; environmental pollution; lipid peroxidation; maternal exposure to newborn; oxidative DNA damage.