RESUMEN
A new method has been developed to determine oxidation products of three chemical warfare agent (CWA) related phenylarsenic compounds from marine biota samples by a liquid chromatography-heated electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HESI/MS/MS). The target chemicals were oxidation products of Adamsite (DM[ox]), Clark I (DPA[ox]), and triphenylarsine (TPA[ox]). Method was validated within the concentration range of 1-5, 0.2-5, and 0.2-5 ng/g for DM[ox], DPA[ox], and TPA[ox], respectively. The method was linear, precise and accurate. Limits of quantification (LOQ) were 2.0, 1.3, and 2.1 ng/g for DM[ox], DPA[ox], and TPA[ox], respectively. A total of ten fish samples and one lobster sample collected from near Swedish coast, Måseskär dumpsite were analyzed. Trace concentrations below LOQ values were detected in three samples and the elemental composition of oxidized form of Clark I and/or II was confirmed by LC-HESI/HRMS. To our knowledge, this is the first study that provides the presence of CWA related chemicals in marine biota samples.
Asunto(s)
Arsenicales/análisis , Sustancias para la Guerra Química/análisis , Espectrometría de Masa por Ionización de Electrospray , Animales , Arsenicales/metabolismo , Biota , Sustancias para la Guerra Química/metabolismo , Cromatografía Líquida de Alta Presión , Peces/metabolismo , Límite de Detección , Nephropidae/metabolismoRESUMEN
In an effort to discover novel catalytic bioscavengers of organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents, cell lysates from a diverse set of bacterial strains were screened for their capacity to hydrolyze the OP nerve agents VX, VR, and soman (GD). The library of bacterial strains was identified using both random and rational approaches. Specifically, two representative strains from eight categories of extremophiles were chosen at random. For the rational approach, the protein sequence of organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) from Brevundimonas diminuta was searched against a non-redundant protein database using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool to find regions of local similarity between sequences. Over 15 protein sequences with significant sequence similarity to OPH were identified from a variety of bacterial strains. Some of these matches were based on predicted protein structures derived from bacterial genome sequences rather than from bona fide proteins isolated from bacteria. Of the 25 strains selected for nerve agent testing, three bacterial strains had measurable levels of OP hydrolase activity. These strains are Ammoniphilus oxalaticus, Haloarcula sp., and Micromonospora aurantiaca. Lysates from A. oxalaticus had detectable hydrolysis of VR; Haloarcula sp. had appreciable hydrolysis of VX and VR, whereas lysates from M. aurantiaca had detectable hydrolysis of VR and GD.
Asunto(s)
Arildialquilfosfatasa/metabolismo , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Sustancias para la Guerra Química/metabolismo , Compuestos Organofosforados/metabolismo , Antídotos/aislamiento & purificación , Antídotos/metabolismo , Antídotos/farmacología , Arildialquilfosfatasa/genética , Arildialquilfosfatasa/aislamiento & purificación , Bacillales/enzimología , Bacillales/genética , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Proteínas Bacterianas/aislamiento & purificación , Sustancias para la Guerra Química/toxicidad , Descubrimiento de Drogas , Evaluación Preclínica de Medicamentos , Haloarcula/enzimología , Haloarcula/genética , Hidrólisis , Micromonospora/enzimología , Micromonospora/genética , Compuestos Organofosforados/toxicidad , Compuestos Organotiofosforados/metabolismo , Compuestos Organotiofosforados/toxicidad , Paraoxon/metabolismo , Paraoxon/toxicidad , Soman/metabolismo , Soman/toxicidadRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the literature on the ability of low-dose (LD) and ultra-low-dose (ULD) toxin exposure to prevent and treat biological and chemical threats. METHODS: Laboratory research articles on protection or treatment from LD or ULD exposure for the 13 high-risk chemical and biological warfare threats were collected and systematically evaluated for quantity and scientific quality using pre-defined methodological criteria. RESULTS: Over 2600 articles were screened. Only five studies met the inclusion criteria examining stimulation and protective effects of LD- or ULD-exposures to the 13 pre-identified biological and chemical agents. The quality evaluation (QE) of these studies was above average with a mean QE score of 70.6% of maximum. Two articles of fair to good quality reported both protective and treatment efficacy from exposure of animals or humans to LD- and ULD-exposures to toxins of risk in biochemical warfare. CONCLUSION: There is little research on agents of biological and chemical warfare investigating the possible use of LD- and ULD-toxins for protection and treatment. The existing literature is generally of good quality and indicates that rapid induction of protective tolerance is a feasible but under-investigated approach to bioterrorist or biowarfare defense. In our opinion, further research into the role of induced protection with LD- and ULD-toxic agents is needed.