Ozone produces functional deficits in the rat visual pathway.
The effects of ozone (O3) have been studied mainly in reference to the respiratory pathways, though some reports have shown that this gas produces noxious effects in brain. The aim of the present work was to study the O3 effects on the central nervous system, focusing on the visual pathway by means of visual evoked potentials technique recording in the visual cortex and the lateral geniculate nucleus of rats exposed to three different concentrations of O3 (0.75, 1.5 and 3.0 ppm). Our results showed that P1, N1 and P2 components were significantly delayed in the visual cortex and lateral geniculate nucleus in those rats exposed to 3.0 ppm of O3. Moreover, the N1 component in the visual cortex was also affected even under exposure to 1.5 ppm of O3. Results suggest that O3 exposure affects the conduction mechanisms and synaptic excitability of the visual pathway. It is known that inhalation of O3 produce a cascade of ozonation products capable of producing lipid peroxidation in the brain. Unevenness of some neurotransmitters has also been referred in animals exposed to this gas. Thus we consider that the delay found in the primary components of the visual evoked potentials could obey to a neurochemical disorder produced by O3 inhalation.
Custodio-Ramírez
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Departamento de Neurofisiología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía MVS, México, D.F. México.
Paz
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D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010126:Ozone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical; D010126:Ozone