Electrocardiographic and respiratory responses to coal-fired power plant emissions in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction: Results from the Toxicological Evaluation of Realistic Emissions of Source Aerosols Study

Abstract

Background: Ambient particulate matter (PM) derived from coal-fired power plants may have important cardiovascular effects, but existing toxicological studies are inadequate for understanding these effects. The Toxicological Evaluation of Realistic Emissions of Source Aerosols (TERESA) study aims to evaluate the toxicity of primary and secondary PM derived from coal-fired power plants. As a part of this effort, we evaluated in susceptible animals the effect of stack emissions on cardiac electrophysiology and respiratory function under exposure conditions intended to simulate an aged plume with unneutralized acidity and secondary organic aerosols (POS exposure scenario). Methods: Rats with acute myocardial infarction were exposed to either stack emissions (n=15) or filtered air (n=14) for 5h at a single power plant. Respiration and electrocardiograms were continuously monitored via telemetry and heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), premature ventricular beat (PVB) frequency, electr