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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 292/3/L664    most recent 00240.2006v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nemmar, A. Articles by Al-Amri, I. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nemmar, A. Articles by Al-Amri, I. S.

Cardiovascular and lung inflammatory effects induced by systemically administered diesel exhaust particles in rats

Departments of ¹Physiology, ²Dean's Office, ³Pharmacology, and ⁴Pathology, Electron Microscopy Unit, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khod, Sultanate of Oman

Submitted 26 June 2006 ; accepted in final form 26 October 2006

Pollution by particulates has consistently been associated with increased cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. It has been suggested that ultrafine particles, of which diesel exhaust particles (DEP) are significant contributors, are able to translocate from the airways into the bloodstream in vivo. In the present study, we assessed the effect of systemic administration of DEP on cardiovascular and respiratory parameters. DEP were administered into the tail vein of rats, and heart rate, blood pressure, blood platelet activation, and lung inflammation were studied 24 h later. Doses of 0.02, 0.1, or 0.5 mg DEP/kg (8, 42, or 212 µg DEP/rat) induced a significant decrease of heart rate and blood pressure compared with saline-treated rats. Although the number of platelets was not affected, all the doses of DEP caused a shortening of the bleeding time. Similarly, in addition to triggering lung edema, the bronchoalveolar lavage analysis revealed the presence of neutrophil influx in DEP-treated rats in a dose-dependent manner. We conclude that the presence of DEP in the systemic circulation leads not only to cardiovascular and haemostatic changes but it also triggers pulmonary inflammation.

air pollution; lung inflammation; heart

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