Effect of air pollution in the carcinogenesis of mice

• Grant number: 02/09803-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2003
• End date: July 31, 2005
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva
• Grantee: Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The effects of air pollution are amply documented. Atmospheric pollutants constitute a public health problem, potentially, in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, which breaches the norms of air quality. Not all the adverse effects to health which those pollutants can cause have been well established, although several harmful effects have been well documented. Neoplasms are among the most frequently professed chronic effects of the exposure to air pollution. Thus, this study intends to evaluate the potential of the formation of neoplasms, using mice as the experimental model. The mice will be placed in open-topped chambers, in the following conditions of exposure: clean air, with filter for particles and gases; intermediary 1, with filter for gases; intermediary 2, with filter for particulate material and unclean air, without filtering. In each chamber the mice will be divided in two groups, one will receive n-nitroso-methylurea and the other will be used as control. The mice will be accompanied for six months, taking as base the experiment of Reymão et al. (1997). At the end of the experiment the mice will be sacrificed and an autopsy performed, and the selected material will be subjected to verification for the presence of tumors. The results of the exposure will be subjected to statistical analysis matching with data obtained from the Cetesb monitoring station. (AU)