The effect of in vivo ozone exposure to Dorset sheep, an animal model with low levels of erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity.

Female Dorset sheep were exposed in vivo to ambient ozone levels of 0.12 ppm, 0.25 ppm, 0.50 ppm, 0.70 ppm for 2.75 hours and the effects of this exposure upon erythrocytes were studied. Ozone exposure induced biochemical evidence of oxidant stress as indicated by decreases in GSH levels (at 0.5 and 0.7 ppm ozone) and ACHE (at 0.7 ppm), increases in MetHb (from 0.12 ppm upward) and decreases in red blood cell counts (from 0.12 ppm upward). However, only the decrease in GSH levels at the 0.5 ppm ozone exposure was statistically significant (p = 0.05).