Focus Network Nanoparticles and Health (NanoHealth)
Networks > Cardiovascular health effects of the ambient aerosol in Augsburg
Contact
Dr. Wolfgang KreylingE-mail: kreyling@helmholtz-muenchen.de
Address
Helmholtz Zentrum München
Focus Network Nanoparticles and Health
Institute of Inhalation Biology
Ingolstädter Landstraße 1
D-85764 Neuherberg
Phone +49-(0)89/3187-2309
Fax: +49-(0)89/3187-3397
Meta analyses of epidemiologic studies show an increase of PM 10 of 10 µg/m³ is associated with a mean mortality increase of 0.6 % (0.4 % - 0.8 %). This is caused by respiratory disease mortality of 1.3 % (0.5 % - 2.0 %) and by cardio-vascular diseases mortality of 0.9 % (0.5 % - 1.3 %). World Health Organization. Meta-analysis of time-series studies and panel studies of particulate matter (PM) and ozone (O3). Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2004 (document EUR/04/5042688). Causes of deaths are arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, heart failure. Even though the percent increase in cardio-vascular diseases mortality is less than that of respiratory diseases the former is more important because the absolute number of individuals dying from cardio-vascular diseases is much higher than that dying from respiratory diseases.
A broad range of effects is associated with PM exposure. The underlying patho-physiological mechanisms are not fully understood and can be summarized in the following hypotheses:
-> Vegetative imbalance caused by inflammatory and stress reactions in the lungs
-> Local and systemic inflammatory reactions and increased oxidative stress resulting in increased clotting with acute phase reactions, endothelial dysfunction and exaggerated atherosclerotic processes.
-> Reduced myocardial circulation affects heart function and altered cellular ion channels leading to an increased risk in arrhythmia.
Recent GSF studies: 22,000 survivors of a myocardial infarction (von Klot et al. (2005); Forastiere et al. (2005)). In addition, a correlation between augmented cardiac repolarisation and ambient aerosol exposure was observed in ischemic patients living in Erfurt (Henneberger et al. (2005)). On the other hand we have shown recently that ultrafine carbon particle inhalation in young healthy and in hypertensive rats led to moderate changes in a number of cardiac functions (Harder et al.); Schulz et al.). Based on these results we will study cardio-vascular effects of ambient particle samples of Augsburg in our rodent models and cellular systems. Our studies will contribute to the knowledge on biological pathways responsible for health effects triggered by ultrafine particles and will characterize susceptible individuals.
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