Cardiovascular effects in rats after intratracheal instillation of metal welding particles

Abstract

Studies have indicated that pulmonary exposure to welding fumes can induce a series of adverse effects in the respiratory system, including infection, bronchitis, siderosis and decreased pulmonary function. Recent clinical and epidemiological studies have found that pulmonary exposure to welding fumes is also associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular events. However, there is insufficient evidence to confirm a direct effect of welding fumes on the cardiovascular system. The present study investigated the effects of pulmonary exposure to welding fumes on the heart and the vascular system in rats. Two chemically distinct welding fumes generated from manual metal arc-hard surfacing (MMA-HS) and gas metal arc-mild steel (GMA-MS) welding were tested. Three groups of rats were instilled intratracheally with MMA-HS (2 mg/rat), GMA-MS (2 mg/rat) or saline as control once a week for seven weeks. On days 1 and 7 after the last treatment, basal cardiovascular function and the cardiovascular response to increasing doses of adrenoreceptor agonists were assessed. MMA-HS treatment reduced the basal levels of left ventricle end-systolic pressure and dP/dtmax at 1 day post-treatment, and decreased dP/dtmin in response to isoproterenol (ISO) at 7 days post-treatment. Unlike MMA-HS, GMA-MS only affected left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in response to ISO at 7 days post-treatment. Treatment with MMA-HS or GMA-MS did not alter heart rate and blood pressure. Our findings suggest that exposure to different welding fumes can induce different adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, and that cardiac contractility may be a sensitive indicator of cardiovascular dysfunction.

Apigenin Attenuates β-Receptor-Stimulated Myocardial Injury Via Safeguarding Cardiac Functions and Escalation of Antioxidant Defence System

“…In the midst of several cardiovascular diseases, ischaemic heart disease is the foremost cause of morbidity and mortality in both industrialized and developing countries and is envisaging, being the key and most common threat to human life by 2020 [1][2][3]. A number of means have been proposed to explicate the myocardial injury and hemodynamic dysfunction during myocardial infarction (MI).…”

Nano- And Micro-Particles Concentrations in Working Area Air at Galvanic Production: Pilot Research

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Assessment of negative influence of manganese in welding fumes on welder's health and ways to reduce it

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