Abstract |
Ozone is an oxidant gas and an ubiquitous oxidant air pollutant with the potential to adversely affect pulmonary immune function with a subsequent increase in disease susceptibility. Pulmonary natural killer (NK) activity was measured in order to assess the pulmonary immunotoxicity of continuous ozone exposure. Continuous ozone exposures at 1.0 ppm were performed for 23.5 hours per day for either 1, 5, 7, or 10 consecutive days. Pulmonary immune function was assessed by measuring NK activity from whole-lung homogenate of male Fischer-344 rats. Results of the study indicated that continuous ozone exposure for 1, 5, or 7 days resulted in a significant decrease in pulmonary NK activity. This suppressed pulmonary NK activity returned to control levels after continuous exposure to ozone for 10 days. This adaption, or attenuation process, is complex and poorly understood. Pulmonary NK activity was also suppressed at 0.5 ppm ozone, but not at 0.1 ppm ozone, for 23.5 hours. NK activity is important for defense against viral, bacterial, and neoplastic disease. (Copyright (c) 1989 by Marcel Dekker, Inc.) |