REVIEW article

Front. Public Health

Sec. Environmental Health and Exposome

Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1615363

Effects of atmospherically relevant PM2.5 on skeletal muscle mitochondria: a review of damage mechanisms and potential of exercise interventions

Provisionally accepted
  • Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

This study aims to explore the multifaceted impacts and mechanisms of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure on skeletal muscle mitochondria. Evidence suggests that PM2.5 can penetrate the respiratory barrier and enter the circulatory system, spreading throughout the body and causing significant damage to the morphology, quantity, and function of skeletal muscle mitochondria. This is manifested by a decline in oxidative phosphorylation efficiency and mitochondrial dysfunction. Meanwhile, PM2.5 exposure induces excessive production of reactive oxygen species, triggering oxidative stress responses that impair mitochondrial dynamic regulation. This further disrupts the balance of glucose and lipid metabolism in skeletal muscle, exacerbating the development of metabolic diseases. The review underscores the systemic effects on skeletal muscle following mitochondrial dysfunction after PM2.5 exposure and the preventive and treatment potential of exercise.

Keywords: Particulate Matter, skeletal muscle, Mitochondrial function, Exercise, fine dust

Received: 21 Apr 2025; Accepted: 20 May 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Yi, Wan and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Wenduo Liu, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea

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