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Controlled exposure to particulate matter from urban street air is associated with decreased vasodilation and heart rate variability in overweight and older adults

Hemmingsen, Jette G. ; Rissler, Jenny LU ; Lykkesfeldt, Jens ; Sallsten, Gerd ; Kristiansen, Jesper ; Moller, Peter P. and Loft, Steffen (2015) In Particle and Fibre Toxicology 12.
Abstract
Background: Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is generally associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Elderly and obese subjects may be particularly susceptible, although short-term effects are poorly described. Methods: Sixty healthy subjects 25 males, 35 females, age 55 to 83 years, body mass index > 25 kg/m(2)) were included in a cross-over study with 5 hours of exposure to particle or sham filtered air from a busy street using an exposure-chamber. The sham-versus particle-filtered air had average particle number concentrations of similar to 23.000 versus similar to 1800/cm(3) and PM2.5 levels of 24 versus 3 mu g/m(3), respectively. The PM contained similar fractions of elemental and black carbon... (More)
Background: Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is generally associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Elderly and obese subjects may be particularly susceptible, although short-term effects are poorly described. Methods: Sixty healthy subjects 25 males, 35 females, age 55 to 83 years, body mass index > 25 kg/m(2)) were included in a cross-over study with 5 hours of exposure to particle or sham filtered air from a busy street using an exposure-chamber. The sham-versus particle-filtered air had average particle number concentrations of similar to 23.000 versus similar to 1800/cm(3) and PM2.5 levels of 24 versus 3 mu g/m(3), respectively. The PM contained similar fractions of elemental and black carbon (similar to 20-25%) in both exposure scenarios. Reactive hyperemia and nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation in finger arteries and heart rate variability (HRV) measured within 1h after exposure were primary outcomes. Potential explanatory mechanistic variables included markers of oxidative stress (ascorbate/dehydroascorbate, nitric oxide-production cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin and its oxidation product dihydrobiopterin) and inflammation markers (C-reactive protein and leukocyte differential counts). Results: Nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation was reduced by 12% [95% confidence interval: -22%; -1.0%] following PM exposure, whereas hyperemia-induced vasodilation was reduced by 5% [95% confidence interval: -11.6%; 1.6%]. Moreover, HRV measurements showed that the high and low frequency domains were significantly decreased and increased, respectively. Redox and inflammatory status did not change significantly based on the above measures. Conclusions: This study indicates that exposure to real-life levels of PM from urban street air impairs the vasomotor function and HRV in overweight middle-aged and elderly adults, although this could not be explained by changes in inflammation, oxidative stress or nitric oxide-cofactors. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Traffic emission, Particulate matter, Cardiovascular disease, Endothelial function, Heart rate variability, Oxidative stress, Ascorbic, acid, Tetrahydrobiopterin, Elderly, Obesity
in
Particle and Fibre Toxicology
volume
12
article number
6
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • wos:000351577300001
  • pmid:25890359
  • scopus:84925399481
  • pmid:25890359
ISSN
1743-8977
DOI
10.1186/s12989-015-0081-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c382cec4-e4b0-4a4c-af4f-22893541d2cd (old id 5282041)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:39:40
date last changed
2022-04-22 04:29:44
@article{c382cec4-e4b0-4a4c-af4f-22893541d2cd,
  abstract     = {{Background: Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is generally associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Elderly and obese subjects may be particularly susceptible, although short-term effects are poorly described. Methods: Sixty healthy subjects 25 males, 35 females, age 55 to 83 years, body mass index > 25 kg/m(2)) were included in a cross-over study with 5 hours of exposure to particle or sham filtered air from a busy street using an exposure-chamber. The sham-versus particle-filtered air had average particle number concentrations of similar to 23.000 versus similar to 1800/cm(3) and PM2.5 levels of 24 versus 3 mu g/m(3), respectively. The PM contained similar fractions of elemental and black carbon (similar to 20-25%) in both exposure scenarios. Reactive hyperemia and nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation in finger arteries and heart rate variability (HRV) measured within 1h after exposure were primary outcomes. Potential explanatory mechanistic variables included markers of oxidative stress (ascorbate/dehydroascorbate, nitric oxide-production cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin and its oxidation product dihydrobiopterin) and inflammation markers (C-reactive protein and leukocyte differential counts). Results: Nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation was reduced by 12% [95% confidence interval: -22%; -1.0%] following PM exposure, whereas hyperemia-induced vasodilation was reduced by 5% [95% confidence interval: -11.6%; 1.6%]. Moreover, HRV measurements showed that the high and low frequency domains were significantly decreased and increased, respectively. Redox and inflammatory status did not change significantly based on the above measures. Conclusions: This study indicates that exposure to real-life levels of PM from urban street air impairs the vasomotor function and HRV in overweight middle-aged and elderly adults, although this could not be explained by changes in inflammation, oxidative stress or nitric oxide-cofactors.}},
  author       = {{Hemmingsen, Jette G. and Rissler, Jenny and Lykkesfeldt, Jens and Sallsten, Gerd and Kristiansen, Jesper and Moller, Peter P. and Loft, Steffen}},
  issn         = {{1743-8977}},
  keywords     = {{Traffic emission; Particulate matter; Cardiovascular disease; Endothelial function; Heart rate variability; Oxidative stress; Ascorbic; acid; Tetrahydrobiopterin; Elderly; Obesity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Particle and Fibre Toxicology}},
  title        = {{Controlled exposure to particulate matter from urban street air is associated with decreased vasodilation and heart rate variability in overweight and older adults}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12989-015-0081-9}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12989-015-0081-9}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}