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IMMUNOSUPPRESSION OF PULMONARY NATURAL KILLER ACTIVITY BY EXPOSURE TO OZONE
Citation:
Burleson, G., L. Keyes, AND J. Stutzman. IMMUNOSUPPRESSION OF PULMONARY NATURAL KILLER ACTIVITY BY EXPOSURE TO OZONE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-89/393 (NTIS PB90246018), 1989.
Description:
Ozone is an oxidant gas and an ubiquitous oxidant air pollutant with the potential to adversely affect pulmonary immune function with a consequent increase in disease susceptibility. ulmonary atural killer (NK) activity was measured in order to assess the pulmonary immunotoxicity of continuous ozone exposure. ontinuous ozone exposures at 1.0 ppm were performed for 23.5 hours per day for either 1, 5, 7, or 10 consecutive days. ulmonary immune function was assessed by measuring NK activity from whole-lung homogenate of male Fischer-344 rats. esults of this study indicated that continuous ozone exposure for 1, 5, or 7 days resulted in a significant decrease in pulmonary NK activity. his suppressed pulmonary NK activity returned to control levels after continuous exposure to ozone for 10 days. his adaption, or attenuation process, is complex and poorly understood. ulmonary NK activity was also suppressed at 0.5 ppm ozone, but not at 0.1 ppm ozone, for 23.5 hours. K activity is important for defense against viral, bacterial, and neoplastic disease. he depressed NK activity as a result of continuous ozone exposure could therefore result in a compromised ability to defend against pulmonary diseases.