Decreased resistance to infection in exercised mice exposed to NO2 and O3

A mechanized wheel was constructed for use in evaluating the interaction of exercise and gaseous pollutants such as O3 and NO2. Immediately after the pollutant exposure, both exercised and nonexercised female mice (CD-1) were combined with controls, challenged with an aerosol of viable Streptococcus pyogenes (group C), and then observed over a 15-d period for incidence of mortality. Exposure to O3 at 196 micrograms/m3 (0.1 ppm) or 590 micrograms/m3 (0.3 ppm) while exercising yielded mortality rates that were significantly higher than those observed in the O3 groups that were not exercised. With exposure to NO2 at 5640 micrograms/m3 (3 ppm), exercise produced a significant enhancement in mortality over the other treatment groups. These studies show that exercise can affect the mortality observed in this model system and indicate the need for establishing safe exposure levels of pollutants as a function of the activity level of the exposed population.