Effects of combined exposure to nitrogen dioxide, ozone and sulfuric acid aerosol on rat lungs

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5611509

Lee, Jongsong Donald

Three-month old male Sprague-Dawley rats, free of specific pathogens, were exposed to either filtered room air (control), or to NO{sub 2} (1.2 or 1.8 ppm), O{sub 3} (0.3 or 0.45 ppm), H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} aerosol (1 mg/m{sup 3}, MMAD 0.68 {mu}m), or the combinations of NO{sub 2}, O{sub 3} and/or H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} aerosol continuously for 3 days. The effects were studied by measuring enzyme activities related to NADPH generation, sulfhydryl metabolism and cellular detoxification in lung tissue; and total and differential cell counts, lactate dehydrogenase activity and total soluble protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The results showed that relative to control, exposure to H{sub 2} SO{sub 4} aerosol caused significant changes only in disulfide reductase activity, total lavage cells and alveolar macrophages. Exposure to 1.2 ppm NO{sub 2} caused small but nonsignificant changes in all the parameters; exposure to 1.8 ppm NO{sub 2} caused significant changes for some parameters, although the changes were relatively small compared to those caused by O{sub 3} exposure. Exposure to 0.30 ppm O{sub 3} caused significant increases in all the parameters except for body weight and superoxide dismutase activity; exposure to 0.45 ppm O{sub 3} caused significant increases in all the parameters. Combined exposure to NO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} aerosol caused significant changes only in some of the parameters. However, combined exposures to NO{sub 2} and O{sub 3}; O{sub 3} and H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} aerosol; and NO{sub 2}, O{sub 3} and H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} aerosol caused significant changes in all the parameters, and the magnitude of combined effects was greater than that caused by NO{sub 2}, O{sub 3} or H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} aerosol alone.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Los Angeles, CA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5611509
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
BODY
CHALCOGENIDES
COENZYMES
ENZYME ACTIVITY
ENZYMES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
LAVAGE
LUNGS
MAMMALS
NADP
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
OXIDES
OXIDOREDUCTASES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
RATS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
SENSITIVITY
SULFURIC ACID
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES