Ambient Air Particulate Matter Exposure and Tissue Factor Expression in Atherosclerosis

Recent studies have suggested a link between inhaled particulate matter (PM) exposure and atherogenesis. We investigated tissue factor (TF) expression with ambient fine particulate matter (diameter < 2.5 μ m, PM2.5) exposure and in response to in vitro exposure to fine and ultrafine PM in cultured human bronchial epithelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells (hSMCs), and monocytes. ApoE−/− mice, fed with normal chow (NC) or high-fat chow (HFC), were exposed to concentrated PM2.5 or filtered air (FA) for 6 mo (6 h/day, 5 day/wk, n = 28). Following in vivo ultrasound bio-microscopy (UBM) assessment of plaque area, macrophage infiltration (CD68) and TF expression in the aorta were quantified. Cultured cells were incubated with size-fractionated PM from cascade impactors, or with standard reference PM material (SRM, number 1649a) and assayed for TF protein, mRNA, and activity. UBM-derived plaque areas were 7 ± 1% larger in the PM2.5-HFC than the FA-HFC group (p = .04), but not significantly different between...