Health Effects of Biodiesel Exhaust Exposure

Measurement of forearm blood flow during unilateral intrabrachial infusion of four vasodilator drugs in incremental doses separated with 20-min washout periods. Bradykinin (endothelial-dependent vasodilator that releases t-PA) was infused at 100, 300 and 1000 pmol/min; acetylcholine (endothelial independent vasodilator that does not release t-PA) was infused at 5, 10 and 20 mcg/min; sodium nitroprusside (endothelial independent vasodilator that does not release t-PA) was infused at 2, 4 and 8 mcg/min and verapamil (endothelial independent and NO independent vasodilator that does not release t-PA) was infused at 10, 30 and 100 mcg/min. Bradykinin, acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside were given in random order and verapamil was administered last due to its long acting effects.