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CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES IN UNRESTRAINED WKY-RATS TO INHALED ULTRAFINE CARBON PARTICLES
Citation:
Harder, V., B. Lentner, E. Karg, S. Takenaka, A. Ziesenis, A. Stampfl, J. Heyder, H. Schulz, U P. Kodavanti, AND P. S. Gilmour. CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES IN UNRESTRAINED WKY-RATS TO INHALED ULTRAFINE CARBON PARTICLES. INHALATION TOXICOLOGY. Taylor & Francis, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, 17(1):29-42, (2005).
Impact/Purpose:
To provide evidence for adverse cardiac effects of inhaled ultrafine particles
Description:
Abstract
This study provides evidence for adverse cardiac effects of inhaled ultrafine particles (UFPs) in healthy WKY rats. Short term exposure (24 h) with carbon UFPs (180 ?g?m ?) induced a moderate but significant heart rate increase of 18 bpm (4.8 %) in association with a significant heart rate variability (HRV) decrease during particle inhalation. HRV analysis points to UFP induced alterations in cardiac autonomic balance, which seem to be mediated by a sympathetic stress response. After 24 h UFP exposure bronchoalveolar lavage revealed a significant low-grade pulmonary inflammation (clean air: 1.9 % vs. UFPs: 6.9 % PMNs) associated with sporadic accumulation of particle laden macrophages in the alveolar region. Regarding possible inflammation mediated increases in blood coagulability, UFP inhalation induced no significant prothrombotic changes on the protein and mRNA level. Histological analysis revealed no signs of cardiac inflammation or cardiomyopathic changes after short-term carbon UFP inhalation (4 h, 24 h).