title: Reduction of rat pleural microvilli caused by noise pollution.
abstract: Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate whether chronic exposure to noise modifies pleural morphology. Rats were submitted to 8-h/day schedule of noise that is similar to the working hours at cotton-mill rooms. Morphometry of the area occupied by microvilli on the pleural surface showed a decrease in microvilli after 3 months of rat exposure to noise. The reduction of microvilli was 10% after 3 months of noise exposure (reaching 20% after 7 months of noise treatment) and is consistent with pleural effusions found in some of the patients working in noise-polluted environments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, ICBAS, Abel Salazar Institute for Biomedical Sciences, UMIB and IBMC, Porto, Portugal. mjolivei@icbas.up.pt
authors.forename: Maria Joäo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: António S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Paula G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Nuno R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Grande
authors.forename: Artur P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Aguas
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guimaräes
authors.forename: Diamantino
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: António P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008871:Microvilli / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013783:Textile Industry