Prolonged exposure to traffic-related particulate matter and gaseous pollutants implicate distinct molecular mechanisms of lung injury in rats

Abstract Background Exposure to air pollution exerts direct effects on respiratory organs; however, molecular alterations underlying air pollution-induced pulmonary injury remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of air pollution on the lung tissues of Sprague-Dawley rats with whole-body exposure to traffic-related PM1 (particulate matter