title: The mechanisms of air pollution and particulate matter in cardiovascular diseases.
abstract: Clinical and epidemiological studies demonstrate that short- and long-term exposure to air pollution increases mortality due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Given the increased industrialization and the increased sources of pollutants (i.e., cars exhaust emissions, cigarette smoke, industry emissions, burning of fossil fuels, incineration of garbage), air pollution has become a key public health issue to solve. Among pollutants, the particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of solid and liquid particles which differently affects human health depending on their size (i.e., PM10with a diameter <10 μm reach the lung and PM2.5with a diameter <2.5 μm penetrate deeper into the lung). In particular, the acute exposure to PM10and PM2.5increases the rate of cardiovascular deaths. Thus, appropriate interventions to reduce air pollution may promote great benefits to public health by reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Several biological mechanisms have been identified to date which could be responsible for PM-dependent adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Indeed, the exposure to PM10and PM2.5induces sustained oxidative stress and inflammation. PM2.5is also able to increase autonomic nervous system activation. Some potential therapeutic approaches have been tested both in pre-clinical and clinical studies, based on the intake of antioxidants from dietary or by pharmacological administration. Studies are still in progress to increase the knowledge of PM activation of intracellular pathways and propose new strategies of intervention.
authors.affiliation: I.O.S, Southern Italy Hospital Institute, Medicina Futura Research, 80100, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiordelisi
authors.affiliation: I.O.S, Southern Italy Hospital Institute, Medicina Futura Research, 80100, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Prisco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piscitelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University Federico II of Naples, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trimarco
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, AOU San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona, Via Largo d'Ippocrate, 84131, Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coscioni
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, AOU San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona, Via Largo d'Ippocrate, 84131, Salerno, Italy.|Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Via Salvator Allende, 84081, Baronissi, SA, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iaccarino
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University Federico II of Naples, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy. danisor@libero.it.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1599-4509
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sorriento
mesh_terms: D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: Acute cardiovascular diseases; Air pollution; Chronic cardiovascular diseases; Oxidative stress; Particulate matter