Development of a Biological Test System for Quantitating the Respiratory Hazard of Ambient Concentrations of Air Pollutants and Evaluation of Vitamin E in the Prevention of Oxidant Induced Impairment.

摘要

The project investigated the effects of ambient concentrations of air pollutants on murine resistance to infection by simultaneously determining the physical removal and bactericidal activity rates of murine lung. The project also investigated the relationship of the vitamin E status of the host to the susceptibility to oxidant induced bacterial dysfunction. Animals infected and then exposed to levels of nitrogen dioxide above 70 ppm showed a progressive decrease in percent pulmonary bactericidal activity. Since ozone also impairs pulmonary bactericidal activity, the same general procedure was used to determine whether combinations of these gases interacted bilogically in a synergistic, indifferent or antagonistic manner. Animals infected and exposed to a range of oxidant combinations manifested dysfunction when the level of one of the pollutants approximated its threshold value, indicating that the oxidants interact biologically indifferently. Finally, rats which were made deficient in vitamin E manifested an increased susceptibility to the adverse effects of exposure to ozone.