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.