Adaptation to Chronic Hyperoxia

Adult rats were exposed to room air, 50%, 65%, or 80% oxygen for 6 wk. Subsets were sacrificed periodically in order to establish alterations in growth parameters and lung antioxidant responses. Prolonged exposure to 50% or 65% oxygen did not result in weight loss or changes in lung-to-body weight ratios relative to control values. Treatment with 50% oxygen produced delayed increases in nonprotein sulfhydryl (NPSH) content and catalase (CAT) activity, while treatment with 65% oxygen produced delayed increases in NPSH, CAT, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) content. Rats treated for 6 wk with either 50% or 65% oxygen died significantly earlier than room-air control animals when these groups were subsequently exposed to 100% oxygen. Rats exposed to 80% oxygen had significantly decreased body weight, increased lung-to-body weight ratios, and increased levels of NPSH, CAT, GPx, total superoxide dismutase, and glutathione reductase by 11 days of treatment. At 6 wk they had significantly altered growth parameter...