title: Prophylactic protection by N-acetylcysteine against the pulmonary injury induced by 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, a mustard analogue.
abstract: Mustard gas exposure causes adult respiratory distress syndrome associated with lung injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an antioxidant, such as N-acetylcysteine (NAC), has any protective effect. Guinea pigs were given single exposure (0.5-6 mg/kg body weight) of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) as a mustard analogue intratracheally and maintained for various lengths of time (1 h to 21 days). Within 1 h of CEES infusion at 4 mg/kg, high levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), ceramides, and nuclear factor kappaB accumulated in lung and alveolar macrophages. Both acid and neutral sphingomyelinases were activated within 4 h. These signal transduction events were associated with alteration in the oxygen defense system. Within 1 h of exposure to CEES (6 mg/kg body weight), there was 10-fold increase in the (125)I-BSA leakage into lung tissue, indicating severe lung injury. Although low level of CEES exposure (0.5 mg/kg body weight) produced symptoms of chemical burn in lung as early as 1 h after exposure, the severity of edema, congestion, hemorrhage, and inflammation increased progressively with time (1 h to 21 days). Feeding of single dose of NAC (0.5 g) by gavage just before the CEES infusion was ineffective to counteract these effects. However, consumption of the antioxidant in drinking water for 3 or 30 days prior to CEES exposure significantly inhibited the induction of TNF-alpha, activation of neutral and acid sphingomyelinases, production of ceramides, activation of caspases, leakage of (125)I-bovine serum albumin ((125)I-BSA) into lung tissue, and histological alterations in lung. Pretreatment with NAC for 3 and 30 days protected against 69-76% of the acute lung injury. Therefore, NAC may be an antidote for CEES-induced lung injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA. sdas@mmc.edu
authors.forename: Salil K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Shyamali
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: Milton G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Diptendu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002518:Ceramides / Q000378:metabolism; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000633:toxicity*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005609:Free Radicals; D016328:NF-kappa B; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase; D020169:Caspases; D009151:Mustard Gas; D000111:Acetylcysteine