Antioxidant vitamins and prevention of lung disease

Journal Article · Wed Sep 30 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1992.tb17095.x· OSTI ID:6899684

Menzel, D B ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Irvine (United States)

Although the evidence for oxidative stress for air pollution in the human lung is fragmentary, the hypothesis that oxidative stress is an important, if not the sole, mechanism of toxicity of oxidizing air pollutants and tobacco smoke is compelling and growing. First, biochemical mechanisms have been worked out for oxidation of lung lipids by the gas phase of cigarette smoke, NO[sub 2] and O[sub 3]. The oxidation of lung lipids can be prevented by both vitamins C and E. Vitamin C is more effective in preventing oxidation by NO[sub 2], and vitamin E is more effective against O[sub 3]. Second, multiple species of experimental animals develop lung disease similar to human bronchitis and emphysema from exposure to NO[sub 2] and O[sub 3], respectively. The development of these diseases occurs over a near lifetime exposure when the levels of NO[sub 2] or O[sub 3] are at near ambient air pollution values. Third, isolated human cells are protected against oxidative damage from NO[sub 2] and O[sub 3] by both vitamins C and E. Fourth, the vitamin C level in the lung either declines on exposure to NO[sub 2] for short-term exposures or increases on chronic cigarette smoke exposure. The effects of cigarette smoking on serum vitamin C is apparently complex and may be related to the daily intake of vitamin C as well as smoking. Serum vitamin C levels may be poor indicators of lung demands when daily vitamin C intakes are above 100 mg/day. Fifth, vitamin C supplementation protects against the effects of ambient levels of air pollution in adults as measured by histamine challenge. An augmented response to histamine challenge may represent increased lung permeability brought about by air pollution. In experimental animal and human experiments, the amount of vitamin C or E that afforded protection was in excess of the current recommended dietary allowance.

• OSTI ID: 6899684
• Journal Information: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences; (United States), Vol. 669; ISSN 0077-8923
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
LIPIDS
OXIDATION
LUNGS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
OZONE
TOXICITY
TOBACCO SMOKES
AIR POLLUTION
ANTIOXIDANTS
BRONCHITIS
CHRONIC INTAKE
EMPHYSEMA
LABORATORY ANIMALS
POLLUTANTS
PREVENTION OF SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION
TOBACCO
VITAMINS
AEROSOLS
ANIMALS
BODY
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLLOIDS
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
INTAKE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
REGULATIONS
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SMOKES
SOLS
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology