Toxicology letters
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Phosgene Oxime (CX, Cl2CNOH), a halogenated oxime, is a potent chemical weapon that causes immediate acute injury and systemic effects. CX, grouped together with vesicating agents, is an urticant or nettle agent with highly volatile, reactive, corrosive, and irritating vapor, and has considerably different chemical properties and toxicity compared to other vesicants. CX is absorbed quickly through clothing with faster cutaneous penetration compared to other vesicating agents causing instantaneous and severe damage. ⋯ CX exposure results in immediate pain and inflammation, and it mainly affects skin, eye and respiratory system. There are no antidotes available against CX-induced injury and the treatment is only supportive. This review summarizes existing knowledge regarding exposure, toxicity and the probable underlying mechanisms of CX compared to other important vesicants' exposure.
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Case Reports Historical Article
Long-term neurological and neuropsychological complications of sulfur mustard and Lewisite mixture poisoning in Chinese victims exposed to chemical warfare agents abandoned at the end of WWII.
In August 2003, 44 victims were poisoned by chemical warfare agents (CWAs) leaked from five drums that were excavated at a construction site in Qiqihar, Northeast China. The drums were abandoned by the former Japanese imperial army during World War II and contained a mixture of Sulfur mustard (SM) and Lewisite. We carried out a total of six regular check-ups between 2006 and 2014, and from 2008 we added neurological evaluations including neuropsychological test and autonomic nervous function test in parallel with medical follow-up as much as was possible. ⋯ Memories and visuospatial abilities were affected in the remaining victims. Finally, a 17-item PTSD questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory evaluated in 2014 revealed long-lasting severe PTSD symptoms and depression of the victims. Our findings suggest that an SM/Lewisite compound have significant adverse consequences directly in cognitive and emotional network and autonomic nervous systems in the brain.
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Excessive alcohol consumption remains a major public health problem that affects millions of people worldwide. Accumulative experimental evidence has suggested an important involvement of gut microbiota in the modulation of host's immunological and neurological functions. However, it is previously unknown whether enteric microbiota is implicated in the formation of alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety. ⋯ Moreover, the transplantation of enteric microbes from alcohol-fed mice to normal healthy controls remarkably shaped the composition of gut bacteria, and elicited behavioral signs of alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we further confirmed that the expression of genes implicated in alcohol addiction, BDNF, CRHR1 and OPRM1, was also altered by transplantation of gut microbes from alcohol-exposed donors. Collectively, our findings suggested a possibility that the alterations of gut microbiota composition might contribute to the development of alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety, and reveal potentially new etiologies for treating alcohol addiction.
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Mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy are critical processes for regulating mitochondrial homeostasis. Phosphoglycerate mutase family member 5 (PGAM5) is a mitochondrial protein that plays crucial roles in apoptosis and necroptosis, but the roles of PGAM5 in mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of PGAM5 in carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP)-induced mitochondrial damage and the correlation between mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy using SH-SY5Y cells. ⋯ In addition, we found that CCCP increased the level of mitochondrial LC3II, indicating that Parkin recruitment of PINK1 is a result of mitophagy. We propose that activation of PGAM5 is associated with DRP1 recruitment and PINK1 stabilization, which contribute to the modulation of mitophagy in CCCP-treated cells with mitochondrial dysfunction. In conclusion, we demonstrated that PGAM5 regulates PINK1-Parkin-mediated mitophagy, which can exert a neuroprotective effect against CCCP-induced apoptosis.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Observational Study
Intoxication by gamma hydroxybutyrate and related analogues: Clinical characteristics and comparison between pure intoxication and that combined with other substances of abuse.
To study the profile of European gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and gammabutyrolactone (GBL) intoxication and analyse the differences in the clinical manifestations produced by intoxication by GHB/GBL alone and in combination with other substances of abuse. ⋯ The profile of the typical GHB/GBL-intoxicated European is a young male, requiring care for altered behaviour and reduced level of consciousness, mainly during the weekend. The clinical features are more severe when GHB is consumed in combination with other substances of abuse.