Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Chronically inhaled ambient particles cause cardiac inflammation in normal, diseased, and elderly rat hearts

  • Published:
Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) is linked to increases in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The exact mechanism by which PM induces cardiovascular toxicity is not completely understood. We sought to study histopathological changes in the heart muscle in young healthy (Wistar–Kyoto, WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats and old (22-month-old) Sprague–Dawley rats (SD) chronically exposed to PM. WKY rats and SHR were exposed for 3 months to ultrafine particles (UFP) or filtered air (FA). SD rats were exposed for 9 months to coarse (CP), fine (FP), and ultrafine particles or FA. In addition, we studied effects of PM on mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and echocardiograms in WKY rats and SHR. Chronic exposure to PM caused histopathological changes in the hearts of all studied strains. The effects ranged from cardiac inflammation caused by 3 months of exposure to UFP in WKY rats and SHR to more severe changes in SD rats exposed to PM for 9 months. Changes in SD rats were inflammation, intracellular edema, and vacuolization in hearts exposed to FP and UFP and vacuolization and collagen accumulation in CP-exposed hearts. In addition, evidence of only mild inflammation was seen in the respiratory tract. We did not observe any statistically significant changes in the MABP (constantly recorded over the entire period of exposure by implanted telemetric devices) and in the echocardiograms in WKY rats and SHR exposed to UFP or FA. MABP at the end of 3 months exposure comprised 153.3 ± 13.9 and 160.3 ± 14.7 mmHg in the SHR-FA and SHR-UFP, respectively, and 124.4 ± 11.2 and 107.9 ± 9.2 mmHg in the WKY-FA and WKY-UFP, respectively (mean ± SD). Our data indicate that chronic exposure to particulate air pollutants causes histopathological changes in healthy (WKY), diseased (SHR), and old SD rat hearts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Brook RD, Brook JR, Urch B et al (2002) Inhalation of fine particulate air pollution and ozone causes acute arterial vasoconstriction in healthy adults. Circulation 105:1534–1536

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brook RD, Franklin B, Cascio W et al (2004) Air pollution and cardiovascular disease. A statement for health care professionals from the Expert Panel on Population and Prevention Science of the American Heart Association. Circulation 109:2655–2671

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chuang KJ, Chen CC, Lee CT, Tang CS (2007) The effects of urban air pollution on inflammation, oxidative stress, coagulation, and autonomic dysfunction in young adults. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 176:370–376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chuang KJ, Coull BA, Zanobetti A et al (2008) Particulate air pollution as a risk factor for ST-segment depression in patients with coronary artery disease. Circulation 118:1314–1320

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Delfino RJ, Staimer N, Tjoa T et al (2009) Air pollution exposures and circulating biomarkers of effect in a susceptible population: clues to potential causal component mixtures and mechanisms. Environ Health Perspect 117:1232–1238

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Devlin RB, Ghio AJ, Kehrl H et al (2003) Elderly humans exposed to concentrated air pollution particles have decreased heart rate variability. Eur Respir J 21:76S–80S

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dominici F, Peng RD, Bell ML et al (2006) Fine particulate air pollution and hospital admission for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. JAMA 295:1127–1134

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fan H, Sun B, Gu Q et al (2002) Oxygen radicals trigger activation of NF-kB and AP-1 and up-regulation of ICAM-1 in reperfused canine heart. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 282:H1778–H1786

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghio AJ, Devlin RB (2001) Inflammatory lung injury after bronchial instillation of air pollution particles. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 164:704–708

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gurgueira SA, Lawrence J, Coull B et al (2002) Rapid increase in the steady-state concentration of reactive oxygen species in the lungs and heart after particulate air pollution inhalation. Environ Health Perspect 110:749–755

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman B, Moebus S, Mohlenkamp S et al (2007) Residential exposure to traffic is associated with coronary atherosclerosis. Circulation 116:489–496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim S, Jaques PA, Chang MC et al (2001a) Versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system (VACES) for simultaneous in vivo and in vitro evaluation of toxic effects of ultrafine and coarse ambient particles—part I: development and laboratory characterization. J Aerosol Med 32:1281–1297

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim S, Jaques PA, Chang MC et al (2001b) Versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system (VACES) for simultaneous in vivo and in vitro evaluation of toxic effects of ultrafine, fine and coarse particles—part II: field evaluation. J Aerosol Med 32:1299–1314

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinman MT, Bufalino C, Rasmussen R, Hyde D, Bhalla DK, Mautz WJ (2000) Toxicity of chemical components of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) inhaled by aged rats. J Appl Toxicol 20:357–364

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinman MT, Sioutas C, Chang MC, Boere AJ, Cassee FR (2003) Ambient fine and coarse particle suppression of alveolar macrophage functions. Toxicol Lett 137:151–158

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kodavanti UP, Moyer CF, Ledbetter AD et al (2003) Inhaled environmental combustion particles cause myocardial injury in the Wistar Kyoto rat. Toxicology Sciences 71:237–245

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kreylig WG, Dirschert P, Ferron GA, Heilman P, Josten M, Miaskowski U, Neuner M, Reitmeir P, Ruprecht L, Schulmann G, Takenaka S, Ziesenis A, Heyder J (1999) Health effects of sulphur-related environmental air pollution. III. Nonspecific respiratory defense capacities. Inhal Toxicol 11:391–422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kunzli N, Jerrett M, Mack WJ et al (2004) Ambient air pollution and atherosclerosis in Los Angeles. Environ Health Perspect 113:201–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mills NL, Tornqvist H, Robinson SD et al (2005) Diesel exhaust inhalation causes vascular dysfunction and impaired endogenous fibrinolysis. Circulation 112:3930–3936

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mills NL, Tornqvist H, Gonzalez MC et al (2007) Ischemic and thrombotic effects of dilute diesel exhaust inhalation in men with coronary heart disease. New Engl J Med 357:1075–1082

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mills NL, Donaldson K, Hadoke PW et al (2009) Adverse cardiovascular effects of air pollution. Nature Clin Practice Cardiovasc Med 6:36–44

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nemmar A, Hoet PHM, Vanquickenborne B et al (2002) Passage of inhaled particles into the blood circulation in humans. Circulation 105:411–414

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oldham MJ, Phalen RF, Robinson RJ, Kleinman MT (2004) Performance of a portable whole-body mouse exposure system. Inhal Toxicol 16:657–662

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peters A, Doring A, Wichmann H-E, Koenig W (1997) Increased plasma viscosity during an air pollution episode: a link to mortality? Lancet 349:1582–1587

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pope CA III, Dockery DW (2006) Health effects of fine particulate air pollution: lines that connect. J Air Waste Manage Assoc 56:709–742

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pope CA III, Burnett RT, Thurston GD et al (2004) Cardiovascular mortality and long-term exposure to particulate air pollution. Epidemiological evidence of general pathophysiological pathways of disease. Circulation 109:2655–2671

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhoden CR, Wellenius GA, Ghelfi E et al (2005) PM-induced cardiac oxidative stress and dysfunction are mediated by autonomic stimulation. Biochim Biophys Acta 1725:305–313

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruckerl R, Greven S, Ljungman P et al (2007) Air pollution and inflammation (interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen) in myocardial infarction survivors. Environ Health Perspect 115:1072–1080

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simkhovich BZ, Kleinman MT, Kloner RA (2008) Air pollution and cardiovascular injury: epidemiology, toxicology and mechanisms. J Am Coll Cardiol 52:719–726

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wellenius GA, Schwartz J, Mettleman M (2006) Particulate air pollution and hospital admissions for congestive heart failure in seven US cities. Am J Cardiol 97:404–408

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zanobetti A, Schwartz J (2009) The effect of fine and coarse particulate air pollution on mortality: a national analysis. Environ Health Perspect 117:898–903

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zanobetti A, Canner MJ, Stone PH et al (2004) Ambient air pollution and blood pressure in cardiac rehabilitation patients. Circulation 110:2184–2189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zanobetti A, Stone PH, Speizer FE et al (2009) T-wave alternans, air pollution and traffic in high-risk subjects. Am J Cardiol 104:665–670

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by US Environmental Protection Agency STAR Grant No. RD-83195201 and by the Gwladys and John Zurlo Charitable Foundation. We want to thank Dr. Dianne Meacher for her major technical and scientific contribution toward the success of this project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Heart Institute, Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90017, USA

    Boris Z. Simkhovich & Robert A. Kloner

  2. Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California—Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

    Michael T. Kleinman, Paul Willet, Glenn Gookin, Karina Salazar & Andrew Keebaugh

Authors
  1. Boris Z. Simkhovich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael T. Kleinman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Paul Willet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Glenn Gookin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Karina Salazar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Andrew Keebaugh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Robert A. Kloner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Boris Z. Simkhovich.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Simkhovich, B.Z., Kleinman, M.T., Willet, P. et al. Chronically inhaled ambient particles cause cardiac inflammation in normal, diseased, and elderly rat hearts. Air Qual Atmos Health 4, 27–36 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-010-0097-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-010-0097-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation