Research Reports

This report examined the interactive effects induced by exposure to altitude and carbon monoxide. Dr. Horvath and colleagues exposed 23 healthy young human volunteers living at sea level to concentrations of 0, 50, 100, or 150 ppm carbon monoxide in a hyperbaric chamber simulating altitudes of 55, 1,524, 2,134, or 3, 048 meters above sea level. Maximal aerobic capacity tests were performed under each exposure condition while respiratory and cardiac variables and blood levels of carboxyhemoglobin, hemoglobin, and lactate were monitored.

This report assessed in rats the carcinogenicity of inhaled 1-nitropyrene, a compound frequently adsorbed to diesel particulate matter, and whether this effect is modified when 1-nitropyrene is associated with particles or irritant gases. Dr. Wolff and colleagues exposed rats to atmospheres containing 14C radiolabeled 1-nitropyrene alone or in combination with gallium oxide, sulfur dioxide, or both. After exposure, tissue samples were analyzed for radiolabel content to determine the tissue distribution of 1-nitropyrene and its metabolites.

This report describes a study by Dr. Maher and colleagues to investigate the biological effects of nitropyrene compounds, found in diesel emission particulate, on diploid human fibroblasts in culture in order to better evaluate potential health effects. Diploid human fibroblasts from normal individuals and individuals with a genetic predisposition to cancer were studied and compared through a series of experiments.

This report addressed the hypothesis that exposure to oxidant air pollutants enhances susceptibility to viral infection. Drs. Kulle and Clements exposed healthy human volunteers who were seronegative to cold-adapted influenza A virus to clean air or nitrogen dioxide concentrations of 1, 2, or 3 ppm for two hours a day for three consecutive days. Live influenza A virus was administered intranasally to all participants after the second day of exposure.