Lung microbiomes’ variable responses to dust exposure in mouse models of asthma
Dust inhalation can lead to health effects, especially when toxic chemicals and microbes mix in with the dust particles. As California's Salton Sea dries up, it exposes lake bottom sediments to wind, which disperses the dried sediments. To mimic the effect of inhaling Salton Sea dust, we collected and filtered airborne dust to use in exposure experiments with mice in environmental chambers. We predicted that inhaling small dust particles, chemicals, and microbial residues found in this dust would affect mouse respiratory health or change the microbes found inside their lungs. We found that inhaling dust led to lung inflammation, and the dust source influenced the type of microbes found inside mouse lungs. As lakes continue to dry out, we expect greater health risks and changes to lung microbiomes.
Authors
- Emma L. Aronson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5018-2688)
- Diana Del Castillo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5892-7736)
- David D. Lo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5962-9458)
- David R. Cocker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0586-0769)
- Trevor A. Biddle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9245-0188)
- Ryan W. Drover (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7481-4929)
- Talyssa M. Topacio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3604-6938)
- Mia Rose Maltz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9714-3566)
- Keziyah Yisrael
- Jon K. Botthoff
- Mark P. Swenson
- Linton Freund (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7688-2420)
- Marina Zaza
Institutions
- University of California, Riverside (US)
- Landscape Institute (GB)
- University of Connecticut (US)
- University of California San Diego (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- mSphere
- Published
- 2025-10-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1128/msphere.00209-25
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Gut microbiota and health
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.81