Reaction of ozone with nicotinamide and its derivatives

Sex and SP-A2 Dependent NAD(H) Redox Alterations in Mouse Alveolar Macrophages in Response to Ozone Exposure: Potential Implications for COVID-19

Co-enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(H)) redox plays a key role in macrophage function. Surfactant protein (SP-) A modulates the functions of alveolar macrophages (AM) and ozone (O₃) exposure in the presence or absence of SP-A and reduces mouse survival in a sex-dependent manner. It is unclear whether and how NAD(H) redox status plays a role in the innate immune response in a sex-dependent manner. We investigated the NAD(H) redox status of AM from SP-A2 and SP-A knockout (KO) mice in response to O₃ or filtered air (control) exposure using optical redox imaging technique. We found: (i) In SP-A2 mice, the redox alteration of AM in response to O₃ showed sex-dependence with AM from males being significantly more oxidized and having a higher level of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species than females; (ii) AM from KO mice were more oxidized after O₃ exposure and showed no sex differences; (iii) AM from female KO mice were more oxidized than female SP-A2 mice; and (iv) Two distinct subpopulations characterized by size and redox status were observed in a mouse AM sample. In conclusions, the NAD(H) redox balance in AM responds to O₃ in a sex-dependent manner and the innate immune molecule, SP-A2, contributes to this observed sex-specific redox response.

Changes in fluorescence spectra of bioaerosols exposed to ozone in a laboratory reaction chamber to simulate atmospheric aging

A laboratory system for exposing aerosol particles to ozone and rapidly measuring the subsequent changes in their single-particle fluorescence is reported. The system consists of a rotating drum chamber and a single-particle fluorescence spectrometer (SPFS) utilizing excitation at 263 nm. Measurements made with this system show preliminary results on the ultra-violet laser-induced-fluorescence (UV-LIF) spectra of single aerosolized particles of Yersinia rohdei, and of MS2 (bacteriophage) exposed to ozone. When bioparticles are exposed in the chamber the fluorescence emission peak around 330 nm: i) decreases in intensity relative to that of the 400-550 nm band; and ii) shifts slightly toward shorter-wavelengths (consistent with further drying of the particles). In these experiments, changes were observed at exposures below the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits for ozone.

Singlet-oxygen generation at gas-liquid interfaces: a significant artifact in the measurement of singlet-oxygen yields from ozone-biomolecule reactions

Several ozone-biomolecule reactions have previously been shown to generate singlet oxygen in high yields. For some of these ozone-biomolecule reactions, we now show that the apparent singlet-oxygen yields determined from measurements of 1270 nm chemiluminescence were artifactually elevated by production of gas-phase singlet oxygen. The gas-phase singlet oxygen results from the reaction of gas-phase ozone with biomolecules near the surface of the solution. Through the use of a flow system that excludes air from the reaction chamber, accurate singlet-oxygen yields can be obtained. The revised singlet-oxygen yields (mol 1O2 per mol O3) for the reactions of ozone with cysteine, reduced glutathione, NADH, NADPH, human albumin, methionine, uric acid and oxidized glutathione are 0.23 +/- 0.02, 0.26 +/- 0.2, 0.48 +/- 0.04, 0.41 +/- 0.01, 0.53 +/- 0.06, 1.11 +/- 0.04, 0.73 +/- 0.05 and 0.75 +/- 0.01, respectively. These revised singlet-oxygen yields are still substantial.

Changes induced by ozone and ultraviolet light in type I collagen. Bovine Achilles tendon collagen versus rat tail tendon collagen

High-molecular-mass aggregates were made soluble from insoluble collagens of bovine Achilles tendon and rat tail tendon by limited thermal hydrolysis. These polymeric collagen aggregates were cross-linked by 390-nm-fluorescent 3-hydroxy-pyridinium residues (excited at 325 nm) in the former tendon and by unknown non-fluorescent residues in the latter. With the solubilized insoluble-collagens from both tendons, as well as with acid-soluble collagen from rat tail tendon, other 350-385-nm fluorescence intensities (excited at 300 nm) were found to be higher in monomeric chains than in dimeric and polymeric chains. Low levels of ozone inhibited fibril formation of acid-soluble collagen particularly from young rat tail tendon, reacting with tyrosine residues and the 350-385-nm fluorophores. Aldehyde groups, involved in cross-linking, were not effectively modified by ozone. beta-Components (alpha-chain dimers) were not efficiently dissociated even by higher doses of ozone compared to gamma-components (alpha-chain trimers). Polymeric chain aggregates from bovine Achilles tendon collagen, whose 3-hydroxy-pyridinium cross-links are cleaved by ozone, were more readily dissociated by ozone than those from rat tail tendon collagen. Ultraviolet (300-nm) light, which destroyed the 350-385-nm fluorophores, inhibited fibril formation less effectively than ultraviolet (275-nm) light, which is absorbed by tyrosine residues, and did not dissociate collagen polymers from rat tail tendon. On the other hand, ultraviolet (320-nm) light, absorbed by 3-hydroxy-pyridinium cross-links which were rapidly photolyzed, partially dissociated polymeric collagen aggregates from bovine Achilles tendon after subsequent heating.

The pulmonary and extrapulmonary effects of ozone

The toxicity of ozone is solely due to its action as an oxidant. It is an extremely reactive gas which rapidly forms intermediate oxidizing derivatives after inhalation. High concentrations cause death from pulmonary oedema. Both pulmonary and extrapulmonary toxicity have been observed at lower concentrations of ozone, including those currently present in urban air. Pulmonary cellular and subcellular membranes appear to be particularly susceptible. A primary mechanism of this effect is the oxidative decomposition of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which has been demonstrated in rodent lungs after inhalation of ozone. Supporting evidence includes the potentiation of ozone toxicity by vitamin E deficiency and an increased use of this antioxidant vitamin during repetitive exposure to ozone. Other membrane effects include oxidation of thiol groups and, perhaps, of tryptophan. Microsomal alterations include a loss of lung cytochrome P450 which may also be related to lipid peroxidation. Extrapulmonary toxicity is not directly due to ozone but may represent in effect due to lipid peroxide decomposition products, particularly malonaldehyde. This three-carbon dialdehyde has been shown to alter cell membrane fluidity and to have mutagenic properties; the latter perhaps due to cross-linkage of DNA to histone.