title: Acute pulmonary toxicity and inflammation induced by combined exposure to didecyldimethylammonium chloride and ethylene glycol in rats.
abstract: Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC), an antimicrobial agent, has been reported to induce pulmonary toxicity in animal studies. DDAC is frequently used in spray-form household products in combination with ethylene glycol (EG). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxic interaction between DDAC and EG in the lung. DDAC at a sub-toxic dose (100 μg/kg body weight) was mixed with a non-toxic dose of EG (100 or 200 μg/kg body weight), and was administrated to rats via intratracheal instillation. Lactate dehydrogenase activity and total protein content in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were not changed by singly treated DDAC or EG, but significantly enhanced at 1 d after treatment with the mixture, with the effect dependent on the dose of EG. Total cell count in BALF was largely increased and polymorphonuclear leukocytes were predominantly recruited to the lung in rats administrated with the mixture. Inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 also appeared to be increased by the mixture of DDAC and EG (200 μg/kg body weight) at 1 d post-exposure, which might be associated with the increase in inflammatory cells in lung. BALF protein content and inflammatory cell recruitment in the lung still remained elevated at 7 d after the administration of DDAC with the higher dose of EG. These results suggest that the combination of DDAC and EG can synergistically induce pulmonary cytotoxicity and inflammation, and EG appears to amplify the harmful effects of DDAC on the lung. Therefore pulmonary exposure to these two chemicals commonly found in commercial products can be a potential hazard to human health.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Research Department, National Institute of Environmental Research, Korea.
authors.forename: Do Young
authors.initials: do Y
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Hyun-Mi
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eunji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yeon-Mi
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Pilje
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyunghee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jung-Taek
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kwon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004357:Drug Synergism; D019855:Ethylene Glycol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D006795:Household Products / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D019855:Ethylene Glycol; C027118:didecyldimethylammonium