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Early-Life Persistent Vitamin D Deficiency Alters Cardiopulmonary Responses to Particulate Matter-Enhanced Atmospheric Smog in Adult Mice
journal contribution
posted on 2018-01-30, 00:00 authored by Kimberly Stratford, Najwa Haykal-Coates, Leslie Thompson, Q. Todd Krantz, Charly King, Jonathan Krug, M. Ian Gilmour, Aimen Farraj, Mehdi HazariEarly life nutritional deficiencies
can lead to increased cardiovascular
susceptibility to environmental exposures. Thus, the purpose of this
study was to examine the effect of early life persistent vitamin D
deficiency (VDD) on the cardiopulmonary response to a particulate
matter-enhanced photochemical smog. Mice were fed a VDD or normal
diet (ND) after weaning. At 17 weeks of age, mice were implanted with
radiotelemeters to monitor electrocardiogram, heart rate (HR), and
heart rate variability (HRV). Ventilatory function was measured throughout
the diet before and after smog exposure using whole-body plethysmography.
VDD mice had lower HR, increased HRV, and decreased tidal volume compared
with ND. Regardless of diet, HR decreased during air exposure; this
response was blunted by smog in ND mice and to a lesser degree in
VDD. When compared with ND, VDD increased HRV during air exposure
and more so with smog. However, smog only increased cardiac arrhythmias
in ND mice. This study demonstrates that VDD alters the cardiopulmonary
response to smog, highlighting the possible influence of nutritional
factors in determining responses to air pollution. The mechanism of
how VDD induces these effects is currently unknown, but modifiable
factors should be considered when performing risk assessment of complex
air pollution atmospheres.