The Influence of Vitamin E on the Lung Fatty Acids of Rats Exposed to Ozone

The effect of vitamin E on ozone toxicity was Investigated by continuous exposure of rats fed a defined diet Dietary supplementation with 100 mg of dl-α-tocopheryl (vitamin E) acetate per kilogram of diet extended the lethal time for 50% survival of rats exposed continuously to 1.0 ppm ozone from 8.2 days to 18.5 days. Exposure to 0.5 ppm ozone resulted in pulmonary edema and mortality in vitamin E-depfeted rats after six weeks. Associated with the toxic symptoms in both experiments were an increase in araehidonic and palmitic acids and a decrease in oleic and linoleic acids. These changes were similar to those observed in lungs of vitamin E-depïeted air-exposed rats and suggest that the cellular effect of ozone is merely an acceleration of the molecular events of vitamin E deficiency.