Augmentation of mitochondrial oxidative metabolish in lung tissue during recovery of animals from acute ozone exposure

Abstract After O 3 -mediated lung injury in rats (3 ppm O 3 exposure for 4 hr) recovery was studied in terms of alteration in lung mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. As judged from O 2 consumption, succinate oxidation in lung homogenate exhibited a 20% ( P 2 /min/lung) within 12 hr and the peak rate (55% over control, P P P 2 consumption observed in exposed rat lungs, therefore, would be attributable primarily to increase in population of mitochondria. Enhanced mitochondrial metabolism might serve as an index for assessing the repair process of injured lung.