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Title: Influence of vitamin E on the lung fatty acids of rats exposed to ozone

Journal Article · · Arch. Environ. Health; (United States)

Rats were fed basal diet that was either free of vitamin E or containing 100 mg/kg of the vitamin, and then exposed to 1.0 ppm O/sub 3/. Mean survival time (50%) was 8.2 days in depleted group and 18.5 days in supplemented group. Protective action was thus demonstrated. O/sub 3/ toxicity symptoms included respiratory difficulty, increased respiratory rate, massive pulmonary edema and hemorrhage, and death. Other rats were exposed to 0.5 ppm for 6 wk. O/sub 3/ caused slight increase in lung weight (% body wt.) of E-supplemented rats and pronounced increase in E-depleted rats, which also showed other signs of O/sub 3/ toxicity. Lung-tissue fatty acid changes predicting edema included increase in arachidonic acid, but other unsaturated acids remained relatively constant. While mortality protection indicates peroxidation as O/sub 3/ toxicity mechanism, fatty acid analyses show quite the opposite. (i.e., surfactant lipids stable).

OSTI ID:
6287278
Journal Information:
Arch. Environ. Health; (United States), Vol. 24
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English