title: Inhalation of ozone produces a decrease in superoxide anion radical production in mouse alveolar macrophages.
abstract: The potentiation of fatal bacterial pneumonia in mice by prior inhalation of ozone occurs at levels of this oxidant pollutant that are frequently present in ambient air. A likely mechanism for this effect is an ozone-induced inhibition in the ability of pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) to produce superoxide anion radical (O2-) demonstrated in the present study. A 25% decrease in PAM O2- production, as measured by nitroblue tetrazolium reduction, occurred after exposure of Swiss-Webster mice to 0.11 ppm ozone for 3 h (p less than 0.05). After 1 ppm there was almost complete inhibition of O2- release. In contrast, the rat, which is highly resistant to the potentiation of bacterial infections by ozone, was less sensitive to inhibition of PAM O2- production, as measured by cytochrome c reduction (mouse IC50, 0.41 ppm; rat IC50, 3.0 ppm ozone for 3 h). The observed decrement in mouse PAM O2- production was not associated with any change in phagocytic ability, as measured by both latex bead ingestion and 51Cr-labeled sheep red blood cell ingestion. This decrease in O2- production in the presence of normal phagocytic activity is analogous to certain of the findings in the neutrophils of children with chronic granulomatous disease. A decrease in rat PAM membrane cytochrome b558 levels was observed after ozone exposure of 3 ppm for 3 h, preliminarily suggesting that the mechanism by which ozone interferes with PAM O2- production may be through interaction with this heme-containing electron carrier.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Community Medicine, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/Rutgers University, Piscataway 08854-5635.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ryer-Powder
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Amoruso
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Czerniecki
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Witz
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D000838:Anions / Q000378:metabolism; D003573:Cytochrome b Group / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009249:NADP / Q000378:metabolism; D019255:NADPH Oxidases; D010126:Ozone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013481:Superoxides / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D003573:Cytochrome b Group; D005609:Free Radicals; D013481:Superoxides; D009249:NADP; D010126:Ozone; C036888:cytochrome b558; D019255:NADPH Oxidases