title: The effects of B0, B20, and B100 soy biodiesel exhaust on aconitine-induced cardiac arrhythmia in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diesel exhaust (DE) has been shown to increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias. Although biodiesel has been proposed as a "safer" alternative to diesel, it is still uncertain whether it actually poses less threat.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We hypothesized that exposure to pure or 20% soy biodiesel exhaust (BDE) would cause less sensitivity to aconitine-induced arrhythmia than DE in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats implanted with radiotelemeters were exposed once or for 5 d (4 h) to either 50 mg/m(3) (low), 150 mg/m(3) (medium), or 500 mg/m(3) (high) of DE (B0), 20% (B20) or 100% (B100) soy biodiesel exhaust. Arrhythmogenesis was assessed 24 h later by continuous infusion of aconitine, an arrhythmogenic drug, while heart rate (HR), and electrocardiogram (ECG) were monitored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rats exposed once or for 5 d to low, medium, or high B0 developed arrhythmia at significantly lower doses of aconitine than controls, whereas rats exposed to B20 were only consistently sensitive after 5 d of the high concentration. B100 caused mild arrhythmia sensitivity at the low concentration, only after 5 d of exposure at the medium concentration and after either a single or 5 d at the high concentration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data demonstrate that exposure to B20 causes less sensitivity to arrhythmia than B0 and B100. This diminished effect may be due to lower irritant components such as acrolein and nitrogen oxides. Thus, in terms of cardiac health, B20 may be a safer option than both of the pure forms.
authors.affiliation: a Environmental Public Health Division, NHEERL, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Mehdi S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hazari
authors.affiliation: a Environmental Public Health Division, NHEERL, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Najwa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haykal-Coates
authors.affiliation: a Environmental Public Health Division, NHEERL, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Darrell W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Winsett
authors.affiliation: a Environmental Public Health Division, NHEERL, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Charly
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: a Environmental Public Health Division, NHEERL, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Q Todd
authors.initials: QT
authors.lastname: Krantz
authors.affiliation: a Environmental Public Health Division, NHEERL, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park , NC , USA.
authors.forename: M Ian
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Gilmour
authors.affiliation: a Environmental Public Health Division, NHEERL, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Aimen K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Farraj
mesh_terms: D000157:Aconitine / Q000633:toxicity*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D056804:Biofuels / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D013025:Glycine max / Q000633:toxicity*; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D056804:Biofuels; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D000157:Aconitine
keywords: Arrhythmia; biodiesel; electrocardiogram; soy; spontaneously hypertensive