Effects of diesel exhaust particulate (DEP) on genital organs and cardiovascular system

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Air pollution has become a very serious problem in the big cities of the world. Diesel exhaust (DE), which contains diesel exhaust particles (DEP) and diesel exhaust gases, is well known as an important air pollutant. Therefore, this study was investigated to clarify the effects of DEP on genital organs and cardiovascular system. Intravenously administered DEP induced arrhythmia (i.e. atrioventricular block, premature contraction). DEP caused low blood pressure and pretreatment with atropine blocked the DEP-induced fall in blood pressure, suggesting involvement of the parasympathetic nervous system in the DEP-induced responses. Moreover, DEP induced cytotoxicity toward cardiac myocytes in vitro might mainly due to reactive oxygen species such as OH, H_2O_2 and O_2. According to these results and other reports, this study and further researches about DEP using cardiac myocytes in vitro would play an important role in elucidating the complicated relations between air particles and cardiovascular diseases in vivo. Furthermore, DEP caused abnormal delivery and reproductive behavior in mice and led to abnormal parturition in pregnant nice and altered myometrial contractility in response to oxytocin. However, a more detail investigation will be needed to clarify the DEP-induced effects on genital organs and cardiovascular system.