Time course effects of exposure to cigarette smoke in cardiopulmonary injury in C57Bl6 mice

• Grant number: 10/08522-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2010
• End date: October 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Milton de Arruda Martins
• Grantee: Bernardo Ferreira Camilo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The biggest risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) development is exposure to cigarette smoke. The prevalence of COPD in the medium term should increase, though there is an efficient program that can reduce exposure to cigarette smoke, it is projected that the aging population will outnumber the effect of reducing this risk factor. Thus, COPD may be the biggest health problem among young adults and the disease costs are considerable. Aiming to better understand disease progression and to find therapeutic measures, several animal models of COPD have been developed in different species. However, despite the extensive literature on pulmonary emphysema, there are few studies evaluating the effects of experimentally induced emphysema by cigarette smoke exposure on parameters such as heart rate variability and blood pressure. In this context, the aim of this study is to evaluate the morphological and functional changes present in lungs and hearts of mice exposed to cigarette smoke, following its progression over time.