ACUTE EXPOSURE TO OZONE DOES NOT INFLUENCE NEURORECEPTOR DENSITY AND SENSITIVITY IN GUINEA-PIG LUNG

The effects of acute exposure of guinea pigs to 3 ppm of ozone for 2 h on the receptor density and sensitivity of the muscarinergic-, the hi staminergic- and the beta-adrenergic receptor systems were studied, in order to provide more insight in the complex mechanisms underlying th e well known ozone-induced changes in receptor functionality. The expo sure to ozone did not change either the total amount of receptors pres ent in lung tissue, nor the receptor sensitivity of the systems studie d. Although no effects were observed, this does not yet fully exclude the receptor system for being a target of ozone exposure. The receptor function can be changed after exposure to ozone, e.g., the coupling w ith the G-protein can be influenced. Furthermore, the G-protein itself may have been altered or changes can occur at lower levels in the rec eptor signal transmission route leading to functional changes after st imulation of the receptor with an agonist. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.