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RATIONALE: Exposure to combustion-derived air pollution is associated with an early (1-2 h) and sustained (24 h) rise in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We have previously demonstrated that inhalation of diesel exhaust causes an immediate (within 2 h) impairment of vascular and endothelial function in humans. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the vascular and systemic effects of diesel exhaust in humans 24 hours after inhalation. METHODS: Fifteen healthy men were exposed to diesel exhaust (particulate concentration, 300 microg/m(3)) or filtered air for 1 hour in a double-blind, randomized, crossover study. Twenty-four hours after exposure, bilateral forearm blood flow, and inflammatory and fibrinolytic markers were measured before and during unilateral intrabrachial bradykinin (100-1,000 pmol/min), acetylcholine (5-20 microg/min), sodium nitroprusside (2-8 microg/min), and verapamil (10-100 microg/min) infusions. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Resting forearm blood flow, blood pressure, and basal fibrinolytic markers were similar 24 hours after either exposure. Diesel exhaust increased plasma cytokine concentrations (tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6, p < 0.05 for both) but appeared to reduce acetylcholine (p = 0.01), and bradykinin (p = 0.08) induced forearm vasodilatation. In contrast, there were no differences in either endothelium-independent (sodium nitroprusside and verapamil) vasodilatation or bradykinin-induced acute plasma tissue plasminogen activator release. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-four hours after diesel exposure, there is a selective and persistent impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilatation that occurs in the presence of mild systemic inflammation. These findings suggest that combustion-derived air pollution may have important systemic and adverse vascular effects for at least 24 hours after exposure.

Original publication

DOI

10.1164/rccm.200606-872OC

Type

Journal article

Journal

Am j respir crit care med

Publication Date

15/08/2007

Volume

176

Pages

395 - 400

Keywords

Acetylcholine, Adolescent, Adult, Antioxidants, Biomarkers, Bradykinin, Cross-Over Studies, Double-Blind Method, Endothelium, Vascular, Environmental Exposure, Forearm, Humans, Inflammation, Interleukin-6, Male, Nitroprusside, P-Selectin, Regional Blood Flow, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Vasodilation, Vasodilator Agents, Vehicle Emissions, Verapamil