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

Miscellaneous ·
OSTI ID:5611509

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
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English