Inhalation of two putative Gulf War toxins by mice

• Published in: Journal of environmental science and health. Part B, Pesticides, food contaminants, and agricultural wastes Vol. 51; no. 6; pp. 366 - 373
• Main Authors: Repine, John E., Wilson, Paul, Elkins, Nancy, Klawitter, Jelena, Christians, Uwe, Peters, Ben, Smith, Dwight M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02-06-2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Administration, Inhalation; Aerosols - administration & dosage; Aerosols - toxicity; Airborne particulates; Animals; Atoms & subatomic particles; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - analysis; Biomarkers - metabolism; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; carbonaceous airborne particles; Dinoprost - analysis; Dinoprost - metabolism; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Female; Gulf War; Gulf War illness; Inflammation; Inflammation - chemically induced; Inflammation - metabolism; leukocytes; Leukotriene B4 - analysis; Leukotriene B4 - metabolism; lung; macrophages; Macrophages, Alveolar - drug effects; malathion; Malathion - administration & dosage; Malathion - toxicity; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Particle Size; Pesticides; phagocytosis; plasma; Rodents; Toxins; carbonaceous airborne particles; phagocytosis; malathion; biomarkers; Pesticides; mice; lung; Gulf War illness; macrophages; inflammation; leukocytes; plasma; oxidative stress
• ISSN: 1532-4109; 0360-1234; 1532-4109
• DOI: 10.1080/03601234.2016.1142318

We employed our inhalation methodology to examine whether biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress would be produced in mice following inhalation of aerosols containing carbonaceous particles or the vapor of pesticides prevalent during the first Gulf War. Exposure to two putative Gulf War Illness toxins, fine airborne particles and the pesticide malathion, increased biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in Friend virus B (FVB) female mice. Mice inhaling particles 24 h before had increased lung lavage and plasma Leukotriene B4 (LTB ₄) (a biomarker of inflammation) and PGF ₂α (a biomarker of oxidative stress) levels, lung lavage protein and lung lavage lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. These changes were a function of particle density and exposure time. Compared to particle inhalation, mice inhaling malathion 24 h before had small increase in plasma LTB ₄ and PGF ₂α levels but no increase in lung lavage LTB ₄, lung lavage protein, lung lavage LDH, and lung lavage alveolar macrophage (AM) levels compared to unexposed control mice. AM from particle-exposed mice contained phagocytosed particles, while AM from malathion-exposed mice showed no abnormalities. Our results indicate that inhaling particles or malathion can alter inflammatory and oxidative biomarkers in mice and raise the possibility that these toxins may have altered inflammation and oxidative stress biomarkers in Gulf War-exposed individuals.