Diesel Exhaust Causes Activation Of The Protective Antioxidant System In The Airways
Jan. 25, 2006

Thomas Sandström of the University Hospital, Umea, Sweden, and team, exposed healthy subjects to diesel exhaust concentrations equivalent to what might occur in a city with heavy traffic. The day after the exposure, the investigators examined airway tissue using bronchoscopy to assess inflammatory and antioxidant responses. The researchers found inflammation in the larger airways, but not in distant areas of the lungs, where they detected an increase in antioxidant defenses. These findings indicate that diesel exhaust causes lung inflammation and activates natural antioxidants that protect the lungs from its harmful effects.

(European Respiratory Journal)