Adaptation to hyperoxia in the neonatal rat: kinetic parameters of the oxygen-mediated induction of lung superoxide dismutases, catalase and glutathione peroxidase.

The activities of the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase increase in the lungs of neonatal rats exposed to normobaric hyperoxia. The oxygen-mediated increase in activity of these enzymes, known from previous studies to be an inductive response, was studied in 10- and 25-day-old rats as a function of both oxygen concentration and length of time of exposure to greater than 95% oxygen. In the lungs of 10-day-old rats the increase in superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase occurs only at 80% ambient oxygen or greater. In 25-day-old rats a similar pattern of response occurs with pulmonary catalase and glutathione peroxidase. However, unlike the response in 10-day-old rats, pulmonary superoxide dismutase does not increase in oxygen-exposed 25-day-old rats. The time course of enzyme induction was different for 10-day-old rats compared with 25-day-old rats. Exposure of 10-day-old rats to 95+% oxygen resulted in a significant increase in activity of superoxide dismutase after only 4 h when compared with air-exposed control animals. Catalasee and glutathione peroxidase in the same age group increased significantly after 6 h and 12 h of exposure to oxygen, respectively. Maximal levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase were reached after 6, 12 and 24 h of exposure to hyperoxia, respectively. This level of activity was then maintained throughout the subsequent exposure time up to 96 h. The activity of pulmonary catalase and glutathione peroxidase in 25-day-old rats did not increase significantly after 6 h of exposure to hyperoxia. An apparent plateau of increased activity was reached after 24 h of exposure. As observed with the 3 enzymes in 10-day-old rats, maximal enzyme activities were maintained throughout the subsequent period of oxygen exposure up to 96 h.