Rodent of the Week: How smog harms the heart

People who live in excessively smoggy areas tend to have higher rates of heart disease, according to several studies. New research shows just how certain components of smog destroy cells in the heart.

In research presented Wednesday, scientists exposed rats to ozone — a major component of smog when it forms near the ground from hydrocarbons — for various periods of time. The found that, compared to unexposed rats, the hearts of the rats exposed to ozone had increased levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which is a marker for inflammation. The study also found that levels of a protein that protects the heart, called Caveolin-1, decreased in the rats exposed to ozone. The drop in Caveolin-1 is thought to trigger a process that causes heart cells to die, said the authors of the study, from Texas A&M Health Science Center.

“Our study looked for direct evidence of the role of ozone alone in cardiac dysfunction by creating a controlled environment,” Rajat Sethi, a coauthor of the paper, said in a news release.

The study was presented at the American Heart Assn.’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2010 Scientific Sessions in Rancho Mirage.

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