A new study shows laboratory rats that breathed Beijing's highly polluted air gained weight and experienced cardiorespiratory and metabolic¹ dysfunctions.

最新研究显示，实验室老鼠呼吸北京严重污染的空气会造成体重增加，心肺和代谢功能紊乱。

The Duke University-led study has published the result in the March issue of the Journal of the Federation² of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB).

这项由杜克大学领导的研究结果发表在美国实验生物学会杂志3月刊上。

Zhang Junfeng, a professor of global and environmental health at Duke and a senior author of the paper, said the research aims to understand the factors leading to obesity³ besides diet and sports, Caixin.com reports.

据财新网报道，杜克大学全球环境健康教师、高级论文作者张俊峰表示，该项研究的目的是了解除了饮食和运动之外导致肥胖的因素。

In the study, pregnant rats and their offspring were placed in two chambers⁴ – one exposed to filtered air that removed most of the air pollution particles and the other to Beijing's highly polluted air.

研究中，怀孕小鼠及其后代被分置于两室，一组接触的是滤净大部分污染颗粒物的空气，另一组暴露于北京污染严重的空气中。

The research showed that the lungs and livers of pregnant rats exposed to the polluted air were heavier and showed increased tissue inflammation after only 19 days. The levels of LDL cholesterol⁵, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and insulin resistance, a precursor⁶ of Type 2 diabetes⁷, were higher. The research provides clear evidence that chronic⁸ exposure to air pollution increases the risk for developing obesity.

研究显示，仅19天后，呼吸污染空气的怀孕小鼠的肝脏和肺部变重、组织炎症变严重。这些小鼠的低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、甘油三酯、总胆固醇指标更高，2型糖尿病的先兆指标之一的胰岛素抵抗也更严重。该研究为长期暴露于污染空气会增加肥胖风险提供了明确的证据。

Zhang said it's highly possible that air pollution contributes to obesity, but the dietary and sports are still dominant⁹ factors.

张俊峰表示，很有可能空气污染对肥胖有相当的影响，但是饮食和运动仍是占主导地位的因素。