Effect of acute nitrogen dioxide exposure on the composition of fatty acids in lung and liver phospholipids

In order to examine the effects of NO2 on the fatty acid content of the lung and liver phospholipids, the phospholipid fractions of rats exposed to 20 ppm NO2 for 20 and 40 h were extracted and analyzed using gas chromatography. Among the ftty acid species in the lung, the relative amount of palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid and linoleic acid increased significantly, whereas myristic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid decresed significantly after exposure to NO2. These changes in the composition of fatty acids are discussed in comparison with the results of acute, subacute and chronic exposure to NO2 reported by other workers. In the case of the fatty acid species in the liver, a significant increase for stearic acid and arachidonic acid and a decrease in oleic acid were observed.