Citation

Sawyer TW, Risk D. Toxicology 1999; 134(1): 27-37.

Affiliation

Therapy Group, Medical Countermeasures Section, Defence Research Establishment Suffield, Alberta, Canada. thomas.sawyer@dres.dnd.ca

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10413186

Abstract

Primary cultures of chick embryo neurons were exposed to sulphur mustard (HD) and L-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and then incubated at either 25 or 37 degrees C. Lowering the temperature of the cultures decreased the 24-h toxicity of HD, but did not increase the efficacy of L-NAME protection. However, the length of time post-HD treatment in which L-NAME was maximally effective in protecting against HD toxicity was dramatically enhanced, out to 12 h after HD exposure. In addition, the persistence of L-NAME protection of the cells against HD was significantly lengthened. Tests conducted in human skin keratinocytes also showed that lowering the incubation temperature of actively proliferating, just-confluent or post-confluent cultures significantly and persistently decreased the cytotoxicity of HD. The persistence of L-NAME protection was increased in non-proliferating cells. Finally, cooling of HD-vapour exposed sites on hairless guinea pigs for 4.5 h decreased the severity of the resultant lesions out to 72 h post-exposure.

Language: en