Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Inflammatory Effects Of Inhaled Sulfur Mustard In Rat Lung, Rama Malaviya, Vasanthi R. Sunil, Jessica Cervelli, Dana R. Anderson, Wesley W. Holmes, Michele L. Conti, Ronald E. Gordon, Jeffrey D. Laskin, Debra L. Laskin

US Army Research

Inhalation of sulfur mustard (SM), a bifunctional alkylating agent that causes severe lung damage, is a significant threat to both military and civilian populations. The mechanisms mediating its cytotoxic effects are unknown and were investigated in the present studies. Male rats Crl:CD(SD) were anesthetized, and then intratracheally intubated and exposed to 0.7–1.4 mg/kg SM by vapor inhalation. Animals were euthanized 6, 24, 48 h or 7 days post-exposure and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) and lung tissue collected. Exposure of rats to SM resulted in rapid pulmonary toxicity, including focal ulceration and detachment of the trachea and bronchial epithelia from underlying …