Lung proteomic and metabolomic changes induced by carbon black nanoparticles and high humidity in a mouse asthma model

Allergic asthma is a significant international concern in respiratory health, which can be exacerbated by the increasing levels of non-allergenic pollutants. This rise in airborne pollutants is a primary driver behind the growing prevalence of asthma, posing a health emergency. Additionally, climatic risk factors can contribute to the onset and progression of asthma. Understanding the complex interplay between pollution, climate, and asthma induction is crucial to elucidate how environmental changes intensify asthma. In this study, we investigated the proteomic and metabolomic changes in the lungs of a mouse asthma model following co-exposure to carbon black nanoparticles and high humidity, which represent airborne and climatic factors, respectively. An asthma model was established using ovalbumin, and mice were intratracheally instilled with 15 or 30 μg/kg of carbon black and simultaneously exposed to either 70% or 90% relative humidity. Protein and metabolite profiles from the lung were used to analyze the most significantly changed clusters, and potential biomarkers and enriched pathways were identified to dissect the adverse effects of the two risk factors. The lung proteome and metabolome are significantly altered by the co-exposure, with the effects modulated by carbon black concentration and humidity level. This study proposes 10 proteins and 18 metabolites as candidate biomarkers. The significantly enriched KEGG pathways include one protein pathway (primary immunodeficiency) and six metabolic pathways (ABC transporters, nucleotide metabolism, Parkinson's disease, purine metabolism, choline metabolism in cancer, and biosynthesis of cofactors). A joint proteomic and metabolomic analysis identifies five common pathways across both omics, namely, ABC transporters, central carbon metabolism in cancer, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, glioma, and NF-kappa B signaling pathway, disturbed by the co-exposure. We provide a multi-omic basis for the health risk assessment and management of co-exposures to environmental risk factors.