A cohort study of the multipollutant effects of PM, NO, and O on C-reactive protein levels during pregnancy.

Background: PM NO, and O contribute to the development of adverse pregnancy complications. While studies have investigated the independent effects of these exposures, literature on their combined effects is limited. Our objective was to study the multipollutant effects of PM, NO, and O on maternal systemic C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.

Ambient air pollution and inflammatory effects in a Canadian pregnancy cohort.

Background: Epidemiologic studies have consistently reported associations between air pollution and pregnancy outcomes including preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. However, the biologic mechanisms underlying these relationships remain unclear as few studies have collected relevant biomarker data. We examined relationships between ambient PM and NO with markers of inflammation during pregnancy in a prospective cohort of Canadian women.

Associations between air pollution and cardio-respiratory physiological measures in older adults exercising outdoors.

We examined whether exercising indoors vs. outdoors reduced the cardio-respiratory effects of outdoor air pollution. Adults ≥55 were randomly assigned to exercise indoors when the Air Quality Health Index was ≥5 and outdoors on other days (intervention group, n = 37), or outdoors everyday (control group, n = 35).

Metals and oxidative potential in urban particulate matter influence systemic inflammatory and neural biomarkers: A controlled exposure study.

Background: Oxidative stress and inflammation are considered to be important pathways leading to particulate matter (PM)-associated disease. In this exploratory study, we examined the effects of metals and oxidative potential (OP) in urban PM on biomarkers of systemic inflammation, oxidative stress and neural function.

Methods: Fifty-three healthy non-smoking volunteers (mean age 28 years, twenty-eight females) were exposed to coarse (2.

Exposure to air pollution near a steel plant is associated with reduced heart rate variability: a randomised crossover study.

Background: Epidemiological studies have shown that as ambient air pollution (AP) increases the risk of cardiovascular mortality also increases. The mechanisms of this effect may be linked to alterations in autonomic nervous system function. We wished to examine the effects of industrial AP on heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of subtle changes in heart rate and rhythm representing autonomic input to the heart.

Hypothermia increases the gain of excitation-contraction coupling in guinea pig ventricular myocytes.

Components of excitation-contraction (EC)-coupling were compared at 37 degrees C and 22 degrees C to determine whether hypothermia altered the gain of EC coupling in guinea pig ventricular myocytes. Ca(2+) concentration (fura-2) and cell shortening (edge detector) were measured simultaneously. Hypothermia increased fractional shortening (8.

Increases in diastolic [Ca2+] can contribute to positive inotropy in guinea pig ventricular myocytes in the absence of changes in amplitudes of Ca2+ transients.

Increases in contraction amplitude following rest or in elevated extracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]) have been attributed to increased sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) stores and/or increased trigger Ca(2+). However, either manipulation also may elevate diastolic [Ca(2+)]. The objective of this study was to determine whether elevation of diastolic [Ca(2+)] could contribute to positive inotropy in isolated ventricular myocytes.