Mitochondrial Features of Mouse Myoblasts Are Finely Tuned by Low Doses of Ozone: The Evidence In Vitro

The mild oxidative stress induced by low doses of gaseous ozone (O₃) activates the antioxidant cell response through the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), thus inducing beneficial effects without cell damage. Mitochondria are sensitive to mild oxidative stress and represent a susceptible O₃ target. In this in vitro study, we investigated the mitochondrial response to low O₃ doses in the immortalized, non-tumoral muscle C2C12 cells; a multimodal approach including fluorescence microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and biochemistry was used. Results demonstrated that mitochondrial features are finely tuned by low O₃ doses. The O₃ concentration of 10 μg maintained normal levels of mitochondria-associated Nrf2, promoted the mitochondrial increase of size and cristae extension, reduced cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and prevented cell death. Conversely, in 20 μg O₃-treated cells, where the association of Nrf2 with the mitochondria drastically dropped, mitochondria underwent more significant swelling, and ROS and cell death increased. This study, therefore, adds original evidence for the involvement of Nrf2 in the dose-dependent response to low O₃ concentrations not only as an Antioxidant Response Elements (ARE) gene activator but also as a regulatory/protective factor of mitochondrial function.