Ozone inhibits prostacyclin synthesis in pulmonary endothelium

The effects of ozone on lung arachidonate metabolism in-vitro were studied in cultured bovine pulmonary endothelial cells exposed for 2 hours to ozone in concentrations up to 1.0 ppm. A concentration-dependent decrease in prostacyclin synthesis was found (90% decrease at the highest ozone level of 1.0 ppm). The inhibition of prostacyclin synthesis was not due to a decreased release of arachidonic acid from membrane lipids. We also examined the hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstrictive response to 10% oxygen inhalation in anesthetized dogs in-vivo after exposure to 1.0 ppm ozone for 1 hour. Pulmonary vascular resistance was significantly increased after ozone exposure, similar to the findings in dogs given indomethacin (15 mg/kg). The percentage change in the hypoxic pulmonary pressor response was similar between the ozone exposure and indomethacin-treated groups, although due to the variance of the pulmonary vascular resistance values during hypoxia the results did not reach statistical significance. These results suggest that ozone inhalation affects pulmonary endothelial arachidonate metabolism in-vivo as well as in-vitro.