Increases Myocardial Infarct Size in Rats

Background Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been epidemiologically linked to death from ischemic heart disease in nonsmokers. In this study, we evaluated the influence of 3 days, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks of ETS exposure on myocardial infarct size in a rat ischemia/reperfusion model. Methods and Results Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to ETS (four Marlboro cigarettes per 15 minutes, 6 hours per day, 5 days per week) for 3 days (n=24), 3 weeks (n=21), or 6 weeks (n= 12) and control rats (n=24, n=21, and n=12, respectively) were subjected to 35 minutes of left coronary artery occlusion and 2 hours of reperfusion. Infarct size and risk area were determined by triphenyltetrazolium chloride and phthalocyanine blue staining, respectively. Air nicotine, carbon monoxide, and total particulates were measured during ETS exposure. Serum lipids, plasma carbon monoxide hemoglobin (COHb), nicotine, and cotinine concentrations were measured in additional groups (6 to 13 rats each) exposed to 3 days, 3 weeks, or 6 weeks of ETS and controls. Average air nicotine,