Effects of exercise on mice exposed to ozone

The effects of exercise on response to ambient levels of ozone exposure were studied by using a sensitive indicator of the pulmonary effect of ozone, viz., the elevation of reduced glutathione levels in the lungs. Mice were exposed to 0.2, 0.5, or 1.0 ppm ozone for 3 hr daily for 4 days. For exercise study, animals were placed in a rotating cage in which they were alternately exercised and rested every 15 min during exposure periods. The susceptibility of mice to the pulmonary effects of ozone was found to be approximately tripled by concurrent exercise. The results indicate the importance of exercise in the evaluation of health hazards from photochemical smog.