The toxicological effects of photochemical oxidant mixtures (O
x) and Ozone (O
3) on Jet: ICR female mice were compared. The animals were exposed to O
x (peak concentration: 0.8-1.4 ppm), O
3 simulated to O
xpattern and O
3 at 3 ppm in constant concentration for 3 hours. O
x was generated by UV-irradiation in the smog chamber containing diluted automobile exhaust gas, nitric oxide and propylene. Immediately after the exposure, rectal temperature, blood pH, erythrocyte acetylchotinesterase and 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate (2, 3-DPG), serum cholinesterase (ChE), GPT, total bilirubin, total cholesterol, urea nitrogen and alkaline-phosphatase (ALP, basic and Mg activated types) and erythrocyte osmotic fragility were measured.
O
x was more effective than O
3 with simulated pattern of O
x on the changes of 2, 3-DPG, Mg activated type ALP, ChE and erythrocyte osmotic fragility, but less effective on urea nitrogen and total cholesterol. The effects of O
x and 0
3 on body temperature were in opposition. These results indicated that the toxicological effects of O
x could not be explained by O
3 alone.
We reported previously that leucocyte count, leuco-index and erythrocyte count increased in the mice exposed to O
x in accordance with clinical findings of the seriously suffered patients during the smog episodes. In the present report, arise of body temperature and the increase of ChE activity in animals exposed to O
x were also similar with the findings in the episodes. However, the facts that all of the clinical findings were not the same with those in animals exposed to O
x generated in the smog chamber suggested the presence of the other hazardous substances in real photochemical smog.
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