Acute Cardiopulmonary Alterations Induced by Fine Particulate Matter of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

The mechanisms involved in the association between air pollution and increased cardiovascular morbidity are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) induces systemic inflammation and vasoconstriction of small arteries in the lung and heart of rats. Thirty-eight healthy Wistar rats were anesthetized, intubated, and submitted to the instillation of 1 ml of distilled water diluted in the following solution: blank filter, 100 microg and 500 microg of PM(2.5). PM(2.5) was collected in glass fiber filters with a high-volume sampler. The animals were sacrificed 24 h after instillation when blood, heart, and lung samples were collected for morphological and wet-to-dry weight ratio analysis. PM(2.5) consisted of the following elements: sulphur, arsenic, bromine, chlorine, cobalt, iron, lanthanum, manganese, antimony, scandium, and thorium. Total reticulocytes significantly increased at both PM(2.5) doses (p < 0.05) while hematocrit levels increased in the 500 microg group (p < 0.05). Quantification of segmented neutrophils and fibrinogen levels showed a significant decrease, while lymphocytes counting increased with 100 microg of PM(2.5) (p < 0.05). A significant dose-dependent decrease of intra-acinar pulmonary arteriole lumen/wall ratio (L/W) was observed in PM groups (p < 0.001). Peribronchiolar arterioles L/W showed a significant decrease in the 500 microg group (p < 0.001). A significant increase in heart wet-to-dry weight ratio was observed in the 500 microg group (p < 0.001). In conclusion, fine environment particles in the city of São Paulo promote pulmonary and cardiac histological alterations. Pulmonary vasculature was markedly affected by particle instillation, resulting in significant vasoconstriction in healthy rats.

Air Pollution Exposures and Circulating Biomarkers of Effect in a Susceptible Population: Clues to Potential Causal Component mixtures and mechanisms

“…Compared with the 53 nega tive responders, these seven subjects showed no notable differences in the distributions of characteristics listed in Table 1 except that none took clopidogrel and only one had a history of myocardial infarction. We spec ulate that these might be healthier subjects because of their ability to increase antioxi dant enzyme activity, perhaps by mounting a rapid bone marrow response to PM exposure, as suggested in several experimental stud ies (Goto et al 2004;Mukae et al 2001), including increased reticulocytes (Rivero et al 2005). In mature erythrocytes, activities of Cu,Zn SOD and GPx 1 are steadily eroded Figure 5.…”

A systematic review of the physical and chemical characteristics of pollutants from biomass burning and combustion of fossil fuels and health effects in Brazil

“…Ninety articles (66%) deal with the adverse respiratory effects of air pollution of which 54 (60%) were selected 21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,…”

Tracheal instillation of urban PM2.5 suspension promotes acute cardiac polarization changes in rats

“…The analysis was made in a vacuum for the element range Na to U on the 10-mm filter surface. The non-exposed filters were used as blanks and their contribution was discounted from the results (30,31).…”