Oxidative damage of sulfur dioxide inhalation on lungs and hearts of mice

Effects of sulfur dioxide (SO2) on concentrations of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH), activities of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) were investigated in lungs and hearts of Kunming albino mice of both sexes. The mice of SO2 groups were exposed to various concentrations (22, 56, and 112 mg/m3) of SO2 in separate exposure chambers for 6 h/day for 7 days, whereas control groups were exposed to filtered air under otherwise the same conditions. Our results show that SO2 caused lipid peroxidation and changes of antioxidative status in both lungs and hearts of mice. Exposure to SO2 at all concentrations tested caused a significant increase of TBARS and a significant decrease in GSH content in lungs and hearts of mice, with the exception of GSH content in the hearts of female mice. For lungs, SO2 at low concentrations significantly increased SOD and GPx activities, whereas at high concentrations it significantly decreased these same activities in mice of both sexes. For hearts, SO2 at all tested concentrations significantly decreased activities of SOD from mice of both sexes, as well as that of GPx from male mice, but the decrease of GPx activities in hearts from female mice was statistically insignificant. SO2 inhalation tended to decrease activities of CAT in lungs and hearts from mice of both sexes, whereas only the decrease of CAT activities caused by SO2 in lungs from male mice was statistically significant, at 112 mg/m3. The results also show a gender difference in oxidative stress and antioxidation status caused by SO2 exposure. These results lead us to conclude that SO2 exposure can cause oxidative damage to lungs and hearts of mice, and SO2 is toxic not only to the respiratory system, but to the heart as well. Additional work is required to understand the toxicological role of SO2 on many or even all mammalian organs.