Effect of short-term exposure to O3 on antibody response in mice.

The effect of short-term exposure to ozone (O3) on antibody response in mice was investigated. BALB/c mice were continuously exposed to 0.4 and 0.8 ppm O3 for 1, 3, 7, and 14 days. Lung weights increased significantly after 3, 7, and 14 days O3 exposure. Spleen weights of mice exposed for 1 and 3 days were decreased compared to those of controls. However, exposure for 7 and 14 days showed no alterations in spleen weight. In the thymus, all O3 exposures markedly decreased its weights. Primary antibody response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) in the spleens of mice exposed to 0.8 ppm O3 was suppressed in all exposure periods. However, no suppression was observed in primary antibody response to DNP-Ficoll of exposed spleens. These results suggest that the impairment of T-lymphocyte function in spleen and thymus was induced by short-term exposure to 0.8 ppm O3.