Abstract
Experiments were conducted to determine whether diesel engine exhaust affects bone metabolism in growing rats. The rats were assigned to three groups: those exposed to total diesel engine exhaust with 5.63 mg/m3 particulate matter, 4.10 ppm nitrogen dioxide, 8.10 ppm nitrogen monoxide; those exposed to filtered exhaust without particulate matter; and those exposed to clean air. Dosing experiments were performed for 3 months beginning at birth (6 h/day for 5 days/week). Bone mineral content (BMC) values in lumbar vertebral bone were significantly increased in both groups exposed to diesel exhaust (P<0.01) compared to that of rats exposed to clean air. Bone mineral density (BMD) values were also significantly increased in both exposed groups, total exhaust (P<0.01) and filtered exhaust (P<0.001), compared to that of rats exposed to clean air. BMD values in the mid-femur were also significantly greater in animals exposed to diesel exhaust, total exhaust (P<0.05), and filtered exhaust (P<0.01), compared to that of those exposed to clean air. Urinary excretion of deoxypyridinolines, a biochemical marker for bone resorption, was significantly reduced in animals exposed to total diesel exhaust and filtered exhaust (P<0.001, P<0.01) compared to control. There was also a significant difference between the two exposure groups of diesel exhaust (P<0.05). Since these effects were not inhibited by filtration, the gaseous phase of the exhaust was considered more responsible than particulate matter for reducing bone resorption.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Becker KL, Silca OL, Snider RH (1984) The pathophysiology of pulmonary calcitonin. In: Becker KE, Gazdar AF (eds) The endocrine lung in health and disease. W.B. Saunders Co, Philadelphia, PA, pp 277–299
Becker KL (1993) The coming of age of a bronchial epithelial cell. Am Rev Respir Dis 148:1166–1168
Carey PM (1987) Air toxic emissions from motor vehicle. Diesel exhaust, USEPA Technical Report Sep, EPA-AA-TSS-PA-86-5, pp 1–29
Damoulis PD, Hauschka PV (1994) Cytokines induce nitric oxide production in mouse osteoblasts. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 201:924–931
Delmas PD, Dchlemmer A, Gineyts E, Riis B, Christiansen C (1991) Urinary excretion of pyridinoline crosslinks correlates with bone turnover measured on iliac crest biopsy in patients with vertebral osteoporosis. J Bone Miner Res 6:639–644
Frost HM, Jee WSS (1992) On the rat model of human osteopenias and osteoporoses. Bone Miner 18:227–236
Garrett IR, Boyce BF, Oreffo ROC, Bonewald L, Poser J, Mundy GR (1990) Oxygen-derived free radicals stimulate osteoclastic bone resorption in rodent bone in vitro and in vivo. J Clin Invest 85:632–639
Garshick I, Schenker MB, Munoz A, Sagal M, Smith TJ, Woskie SR, Hammond K, Speizer FE (1987) A case-control study of lung cancer and diesel exposure in rail workers. Amer Rev Respir Dis 135:1242–1248
Jowell PS, Paul S, Epstein S, Fallon MD (1987) 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 modulates glucocorticoid-induced alteration in serum bone Gla protein and bone histomorphometry. Endocrinology 120:531–536
McIntyre L, Zaidi M, Alam ASMT, Datta AH, Moonga BS, Lidbury PS, Hecker M, Vane JR (1991) Osteoclastic inhibition: An action of nitric oxide not mediated by cyclic GMP. Proc Natl Acad Sci 88:2936–2940
McClellan RO (1987) Health effects of exposure to diesel exhaust particles. Ann Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 27:279–300
Mohr U, Takenaka S, Dungworth DL (1986) Morphologic effects of inhaled diesel engine exhaust on lungs of rats. In: Ishinishi N, Koizumi A, McClellan RO, Stober W (eds) Carcinogenic and mutagenic effects of diesel engine exhaust. Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 459 pp
Price PA (1980) Origin of the vitamin K-dependent bone protein found in plasma and its clearance by kidney and bone. J Biol Chem 256:12760–127666
Price PA (1985) Vitamin K-dependent formation of bone Gla protein (osteocalcin) and its function. Vitam Horm 42:65–108
Seyedin SM, Kung VT, Daniloff YN, Helsey RP, Gomez B, Neilsen LA, Rosen HN, Zuk RF (1993) Immunoassay for urinary pyridinoline: The new marker of bone resorption. J Bone Miner Res 5:635–641
Tabassian AR, Nylen ES, Linnoila RI, Snider RH, Cassidy MM, Becker KL (1988) Stimulation of hamster pulmonary neuroendocrine cells and associated peptides by repeated exposure to cigarette smoke. Am Rev Respir Dis 140:436–440
Watanabe N, Kato T, Hamai A, Sakurai K (1991) Study of hyaluronic acid localized on rat lung exposed to diesel engine exhaust. Connect Tiss 22:71–78
Watanabe N, Kato T, Sakurai K (1992) Pathological and immunohistochemical study on the lung of rats exposed to diesel engine exhaust. Connect Tiss 23:1–13
Watanabe N (1992) Configuration of rib cage and pathological and immunohistochemical studies on the costae of rats exposed to diesel engine exhaust. Connect Tiss 23:15–27
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Watanabe, N., Nakamura, T. Inhalation of diesel engine exhaust increases bone mineral concentrations in growing rats. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 30, 407–411 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00212301
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00212301