title: Effects of benzo[a]pyrene on autonomic nervous system of coke oven workers.
abstract: Objectives are to investigate the effects of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) on the autonomic nervous system of coke oven workers. One hundred eighty-four coke oven workers were divided into 3 groups according to their working sites (coke oven bottom group, coke oven side group and coke oven top group), and 93 referents were recruited. B[a]P monitored by air sampling pumps as well as urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-Py) was determined by high performance liquid chromatograph with a fluorescence detector (HPLC-FD). The autonomic nervous system (ANS) function was determined by 4 tests: Valsalva Manoeuvre heart rate variation (HR-V), variation of heart rate when breathing deeply (HR-DB), variation of heart rate when instantly standing up (HR-IS, including RR30:15 and RRmax:min) and variation of blood pressure when instantly standing up (BP-IS). The B[a]P mean concentrations in coke oven bottom, coke oven side and coke oven top were 19, 185 and 1,623 ng/m(3), respectively. The levels of urinary 1-OH-Py were markedly higher in the 3 exposed groups than that in the referent group (p<0.01). No significant difference was found in each group between smokers and non-smokers (p>0.05). Compared with referents, HR-V decreased significantly in coke oven workers (p<0.01), representing modulation of parasympathetic nervous function. However, no statistical differences were found in HR-DB, RR30:15, RRmax:min and BP-IS between the exposed groups and the control group (p>0.05). HR-V decreased with the increment of 1-OH-Py (p<0.05), and results of multiple linear stepwise regression demonstrated that external exposure level and duration of education entered the HR-V model; age was a significant factor of HR-DB and RRmax:min, but no variable was involved in RR30:15 and BP-IS regression. Benzo[a]pyrene affects the autonomic nervous function of coke oven workers mainly by down-regulating the parasympathetic nervous function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ji-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying-Tao
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antonucci
authors.forename: Hui-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Qin-Li
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lin-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Cui-E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Gioacchino
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Niu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D003077:Coke; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016482:Urinalysis
chemical_list: D003077:Coke; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene