Fig. 5.

Nine months inhalation of PM in mice impairs cardiac contractility and promotes cardiac remodelling that is characteristic of heart failure. In cardiomyocytes PM exposure led to: a) reduction in contraction (PS: peak shortening), b) reduction in cell nucleus:cytoplasm ratio, c) increased expression of transforming growth factor (TGFB), d) increased protein expression of collagen and decreased SERCA-2 (a Ca²⁺-ATPase), e) reduction in plasma antioxidant capacity. Data from Wold et al. 2012 [210].