Effects of noise on vascular function, oxidative stress, and inflammation: mechanistic insight from studies in mice.
Epidemiological studies indicate that traffic noise increases the incidence of coronary artery disease, hypertension and stroke. The underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Field studies with nighttime noise exposure demonstrate that aircraft noise leads to vascular dysfunction, which is markedly improved by vitamin C, suggesting a key role of oxidative stress in causing this phenomenon.



We developed a novel animal model to study the vascular consequences of aircraft noise exposure. Peak sound levels of 85 and mean sound level of 72 dBA applied by loudspeakers for 4 days caused an increase in systolic blood pressure, plasma noradrenaline and angiotensin II levels and induced endothelial dysfunction. Noise increased eNOS expression but reduced vascular NO levels because of eNOS uncoupling. Noise increased circulating levels of nitrotyrosine, interleukine-6 and vascular expression of the NADPH oxidase subunit Nox2, nitrotyrosine-positive proteins and of endothelin-1. FACS analysis demonstrated an increase in infiltrated natural killer-cells and neutrophils into the vasculature. Equal mean sound pressure levels of white noise for 4 days did not induce these changes. Comparative Illumina sequencing of transcriptomes of aortic tissues from aircraft noise-treated animals displayed significant changes of genes in part responsible for the regulation of vascular function, vascular remodelling, and cell death.



We established a novel and unique aircraft noise stress model with increased blood pressure and vascular dysfunction associated with oxidative stress. This animal model enables future studies of molecular mechanisms, mitigation strategies, and pharmacological interventions to protect from noise-induced vascular damage.
Center for Cardiology, Cardiology I - Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, University Medical Center at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.|German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main.
Thomas
T
Münzel
Center for Cardiology, Cardiology I - Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, University Medical Center at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.|German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main.
Andreas
A
Daiber
Center for Cardiology, Cardiology I - Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, University Medical Center at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
Sebastian
S
Steven
Center for Cardiology, Cardiology I - Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, University Medical Center at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
Lan P
LP
Tran
Center for Cardiology, Cardiology I - Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, University Medical Center at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
Elisabeth
E
Ullmann
Center for Cardiology, Cardiology I - Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, University Medical Center at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
Sabine
S
Kossmann
Center for Cardiology, Cardiology I - Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, University Medical Center at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
Frank P
FP
Schmidt
Center for Cardiology, Cardiology I - Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, University Medical Center at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
Matthias
M
Oelze
Department of Pharmacology, University Medical Center, Obere Zahlbacher , Mainz, Germany.
Ning
N
Xia
Department of Pharmacology, University Medical Center, Obere Zahlbacher , Mainz, Germany.
Huige
H
Li
Preventive Cardiology and Preventive Medicine, Center for Cardiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Antonio
A
Pinto
German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main.|Preventive Cardiology and Preventive Medicine, Center for Cardiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Philipp
P
Wild
Engineering Office for Noise Protection, Mainz, Germany.
Kai
K
Pies
Institute for Molecular Genetics, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Erwin R
ER
Schmidt
Institute for Molecular Genetics, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Steffen
S
Rapp
Center for Cardiology, Cardiology I - Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, University Medical Center at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
Swenja
S
Kröller-Schön
D000401:Aircraft; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D009624:Noise, Transportation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000503:physiopathology; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology
D006728:Hormones; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496315:Nos3 protein, mouse; D019255:NADPH Oxidases
Endothelial dysfunction; Environmental stressor; NADPH oxidase; Noise exposure; Oxidative stress; Vascular inflammation; eNOS uncoupling