The Cardiovascular Effects of Nitrogen Dioxide Exposure

University of Edinburgh

Status: Completed

Conditions: Endothelial Dysfunction

Treatments: Procedure: Forearm Vascular Study

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00774514

Dnr 08-113M

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Enrollment: 12 estimated patients

Sex: Male

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy male volunteers

Exclusion criteria

• Current smokers
• Significant occupational exposure to air pollution
• Regular medication use
• Intercurrent illness

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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12 participants in 2 patient groups

Air exposure

Experimental group

Description:

1 hour exposure to filtered air during intermittent exercise

Treatment:

Procedure: Forearm Vascular Study

NO2 exposure

Experimental group

Description:

1 hour exposure to nitrogen dioxide at 4ppm during intermittent exercise

Treatment:

Procedure: Forearm Vascular Study