Sidestream cigarette smoke exposure effects on baroreflex in adult rats

BACKGROUND: It has been evidenced in the literature that exposure to cigarette smoke causes hypertension in rats; however, it has not been demonstrated if the baroreflex function is impaired before the animal becomes hypertensive. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated short-term effects of sidestream cigarette smoke (SSCS) exposure on baroreflex function in Wistar normotensive rats. METHODS: Rats were exposed to SSCS during three weeks, 180 minutes, five days per week, at a concentration of monoxide carbon between 100-300 ppm. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were evaluated through cannulation of the femoral vein and artery. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between control and SSCS groups regarding basal mean arterial pressure and heart rate, sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the baroreflex function. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that three weeks of exposure to SSCS is not enough to significantly impair cardiovascular parameters and baroreflex sensitivity in normotensive Wistar rats.