![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
Abstract
To evaluate the acute effects of NO 2 on the physical performance of experimental animals, male mice 15–16 wk old were exposed to 5, 10, 20, or 40 ppm NO 2 for 24 h, and forced swimming endurance time (FSET), changes in FSET during the postexposure days, lung wet weight, lung water content, and blood lactate level were examined. FSET of mice exposed to NO 2 at 10, 20, and 40 ppm decreased immediately after exposure. FSET of mice exposed to 5 ppm NO 2 did not change immediately after exposure, but a significant decrease was observed from d 1 to d 4 after exposure. FSET recovered to the initial control level after 5–6 d, 7–8 d, and over 9 d in mice exposed to NO 2 at 5, 10, and 20 ppm, respectively. Lung wet weight of mice exposed to 20 and 40 ppm NO 2 and lung water content of mice exposed to 10, 20, and 40 ppm NO 2 increased with dose. A negative relation was demonstrated between FSET and lung wet weight and between FSET and lung water content. Without forced swimming exercise, the blood lactate level of mice exposed to 5 ppm NO 2 was almost equivalent to that of control mice, but the blood lactate level of the exposed mice significantly increased immediately and 24 h after forced swimming exercise for 4 min.