Effect of Ozone on Lipid Peroxidation in the Red Blood Cell.

Abstract

As part of a study investigating the hypothesis that the mechanism of the deleterious effects of the air pollutant ozone is its attack on the double bonds of unsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes, human erythrocytes were exposed in vitro to 40 ppm ozone for 2 hr. Increased osmotic fragility was demonstrated as was the formation of thiobarbituric reactants suggesting lipid peroxidation. The possible role of lipid peroxidation in the biological effects of ozone is discussed.