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Oxidative damage to plasma constituents by ozone
C E Cross1, P A Motchnik, B A Bruener
1Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento 95817.
FEBS Letters
|February 24, 1992
Summary
Ozone reacts with blood plasma, rapidly oxidizing uric acid and ascorbic acid. This suggests uric acid in airways may protect against ozone toxicity, challenging the role of lipid damage.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
Background:
- Ozone (O3) is an environmental oxidant present in the respiratory tract.
- Understanding ozone's interactions with biological molecules is crucial for assessing its toxicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reaction of ozone with human blood plasma.
- To elucidate the protective mechanisms against ozone-induced oxidative stress in the respiratory tract.
Main Methods:
- Incubation of human blood plasma with ozone.
- Quantification of antioxidant depletion (uric acid, ascorbic acid, protein-SH groups).
- Assessment of lipid peroxidation products and lipoprotein changes.
Main Results:
- Rapid oxidation of uric acid and ascorbic acid by ozone.
- Slower loss of protein-SH groups; no significant changes in bilirubin or alpha-tocopherol.
- Minimal lipid hydroperoxide formation and no detectable aldehydes; no changes in lipoprotein mobility.
Conclusions:
- Uric acid is a primary scavenger of ozone in human blood plasma.
- Inhaled ozone may be neutralized by uric acid in upper airway secretions.
- Oxidative damage to lipids is unlikely to be the primary mechanism of respiratory tract ozone toxicity.