Small MoleculeAntipsychotic Aripiprazole PotentiatesOzone-Induced Inflammation in Airway Epithelium

Inhaled ground level ozone (O3) has well described adverse health effects, which may be augmented in susceptible populations. While conditions, such as pre-existing respiratory disease, have been identified as factors enhancing susceptibility to O3-induced health effects, the potential for chemical interactions in the lung to sensitize populations to pollutant-induced responses has not yet been studied. In the airways, inhaled O3 reacts with lipids, such as cholesterol, to generate reactive and electrophilic oxysterol species, capable of causing cellular dysfunction and inflammation. The enzyme regulating the final step of cholesterol biosynthesis, 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7), converts 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) to cholesterol. Inhibition of DHCR7 increases the levels of 7-DHC, which is much more susceptible to oxidation than cholesterol. Chemical analysis established the capacity for a variety of small molecule antipsychotic drugs, like Aripiprazole (APZ), to inhibit DHCR7 and elevate circul...