title: Toxicity induced by chemical warfare agents: insights on the protective role of melatonin.
abstract: Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) are substances that can be used to kill, injure or incapacitate an enemy in warfare, but also against civilian population in terrorist attacks. Many chemical agents are able to generate free radicals and derived reactants, excitotoxicity process, or inflammation, and as consequence they can cause neurological symptoms and damage in different organs. Nowadays, taking into account that total immediate decontamination after exposure is difficult to achieve and there are not completely effective antidotes and treatments against all CWAs, we advance and propose that medical countermeasures against CWAs poisoning would benefit from a broad-spectrum multipotent molecule. Melatonin, a versatile and ubiquitous antioxidant molecule, originally discovered as a hormone synthesized mainly in the pineal gland, has low toxicity and high efficacy in reducing oxidative damage, anti-inflammatory effects by regulation of multiple cellular pathways and properties to prevent excitotoxicity, among others. The purpose of this review is to show the multiple and diverse properties of melatonin, as a pleiotropic indole derivative, and its marked potential for improving human health against the most widely used chemical weapons.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Defence Department, CBRN Defence School, Army Engineer School, 28240-Hoyo de Manzanares, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pita
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marco-Contelles
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Del Pino
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romero
mesh_terms: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D003486:Cyanides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007509:Irritants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects; D008550:Melatonin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D003486:Cyanides; D005609:Free Radicals; D007509:Irritants; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D008550:Melatonin
keywords: Chemical warfare agents; Free radicals; Melatonin; Neuroprotection; Toxicity