The Cardiovascular Effects of Nitrogen Dioxide Exposure

Condition(s) targeted: Endothelial Dysfunction

Intervention: Forearm Vascular Study (Procedure)

Phase: N/A

Status: Recruiting

Sponsored by: University of Edinburgh

Official(s) and/or principal investigator(s):
Thomas Sandström, MD PhD, Principal Investigator, Affiliation: Umeå University
Anders Blomberg, MD PhD, Principal Investigator, Affiliation: Umeå University

Overall contact:
Anders Blomberg, MD PhD, Phone: +46 90 785 2234, Email: anders.blomberg@lung.umu.se

Exposure to air pollution has been linked to increased cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. The exact component of air pollution that mediates this effect is unknown, but the link is strongest for fine combustion derived particulate matter derived from traffic sources. It has been demonstrated that inhalation of diesel exhaust impairs vascular vasomotor tone and endogenous fibrinolysis. Recent studies using an inline retrofit particle trap to reduce the particulate component of exhaust have shown that filtering particles leads to a reversal of the endothelial dysfunction seen after diesel exhaust exposure, and have even suggested an augmentation of vascular function. This raises the question of the cardiovascular effects of the gaseous pollutants, the most abundant of which is nitrogen dioxide. In this study we plan to investigate the cardiovascular effects of nitrogen dioxide exposure.

Official title: The Cardiovascular Effects of Nitrogen Dioxide Exposure

Study design: Basic Science, Randomized, Double Blind (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor), Crossover Assignment

Primary outcome: Forearm blood flow measured by venous occlusion plethysmography in response to intraarterial vasodilators (acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside, bradykinin and verapamil)

Secondary outcome:

Plasma t-PA concentrations after infusion of bradykinin

Exhaled nitric oxide

Minimum age: N/A. Maximum age: N/A. Gender(s): Male.

Criteria:

Inclusion Criteria:

- Healthy male volunteers

Exclusion Criteria:

- Current smokers

- Significant occupational exposure to air pollution

- Regular medication use

- Intercurrent illness

Anders Blomberg, MD PhD, Phone: +46 90 785 2234, Email: anders.blomberg@lung.umu.se

Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Recruiting
Anders Blomberg, MD PhD, Phone: +46 90 785 2234, Email: anders.blomberg@lung.umu.se
Magnus Lundbäck, MD, Sub-Investigator
Stefan Barath, MD, Sub-Investigator
Jeremy P Langrish, MB BCh MRCP, Sub-Investigator
Anders Blomberg, MD, Principal Investigator

Starting date: October 2008
Ending date: December 2008
Last updated: October 16, 2008