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Okoyeocha EOM, Tewari-Singh N. Chloropicrin induced ocular injury: Biomarkers, potential mechanisms, and treatments. Toxicol Lett 2024; 396:70-80. [PMID: 38677567 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2024.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Ocular tissue, especially the cornea, is overly sensitive to chemical exposures. The availability and adoption of chemical threat agent chloropicrin (CP) is growing in the United States as a pesticide and fumigant; thereby increasing the risk of its use in warfare, terrorist attacks and non-intentional exposure. Exposure to CP results in immediate ocular, respiratory, and dermal injury; however, we lack knowledge on its mechanism of toxicity as well as of its breakdown products like chlorine and phosgene, and effective therapies are elusive. Herein, we have reviewed the recent findings on exposure route, toxicity and likely mechanisms of CP induced ocular toxicity based on other vesicating chemical warfare agents that cause ocular injury. We have focused on the implication of their toxicity and mechanistic outcomes in the ocular tissue, especially the cornea, which could be useful in the development of broad-spectrum effective therapeutic options. We have discussed on the potential countermeasures, overall hallmarks and challenges involved in studying ocular injuries from chemical threat agent exposures. Finally, we reviewed useful available technologies and methods that can assist in the identification of effective medical countermeasures for chemical threat agents related ocular injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebenezar O M Okoyeocha
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Neera Tewari-Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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Zhao D, Zhang Y, Jin Z, Bai R, Wang J, Wu L, He Y. Benzalkonium Chloride and Benzethonium Chloride Effectively Reduce Spore Germination of Ginger Soft Rot Pathogens: Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 10:8. [PMID: 38248918 PMCID: PMC10816859 DOI: 10.3390/jof10010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ginger soft rot is a serious soil-borne disease caused by Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum, resulting in reduced crop yields. The application of common chemical fungicides is considered to be an effective method of sterilization, and therefore, they pose a serious threat to the environment and human health due to their high toxicity. Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) and benzethonium chloride (BEC) are two popular quaternary ammonium salts with a wide range of fungicidal effects. In this study, we investigated the fungicidal effects of BAC and BEC on soft rot disease of ginger as alternatives to common chemical fungicides. Two soft rot pathogens of ginger were successfully isolated from diseased ginger by using the spread plate method and sequenced as F. solani and F. oxysporum using the high-throughput fungal sequencing method. We investigated the fungicidal effects of BAC and BEC on F. solani and F. oxysporum, and we explored the antifungal mechanisms. Almost complete inactivation of spores of F. solani and F. oxysporum was observed at 100 mg/L fungicide concentration. Only a small amount of spore regrowth was observed after the inactivation treatment of spores of F. solani and F. oxysporum in soil, which proved that BAC and BEC have the potential to be used as an alternative to common chemical fungicides for soil disinfection of diseased ginger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxu Zhao
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhaoyang Jin
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ruxiao Bai
- Institute of Farmland Water Conservancy and Soil Fertilizers, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Reclamation Sciences, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Institute of Farmland Water Conservancy and Soil Fertilizers, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Reclamation Sciences, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Li Wu
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yujian He
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Institute of Farmland Water Conservancy and Soil Fertilizers, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Reclamation Sciences, Shihezi 832000, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Ebenezar OO, Roney A, Goswami DG, Petrash JM, Sledge D, Komáromy AM, Liby KT, Tewari-Singh N. Ocular injury progression and cornea histopathology from chloropicrin vapor exposure: Relevant clinical biomarkers in mice. Exp Eye Res 2023; 230:109440. [PMID: 36933694 PMCID: PMC11658128 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Ocular tissue is highly sensitive to chemical exposures. Chloropicrin (CP), a choking agent employed during World War I and currently a popular pesticide and fumigating agent, is a potential chemical threat agent. Accidental, occupational, or intentional exposure to CP results in severe ocular injury, especially to the cornea; however, studies on ocular injury progression and underlying mechanisms in a relevant in vivo animal model are lacking. This has impaired the development of effective therapies to treat the acute and long-term ocular toxicity of CP. To study the in vivo clinical and biological effects of CP ocular exposure, we tested different CP exposure doses and durations in mice. These exposures will aid in the study of acute ocular injury and its progression as well as identify a moderate dose to develop a relevant rodent ocular injury model with CP. The left eyes of male BALB/c mice were exposed to CP (20% CP for 0.5 or 1 min or 10% CP for 1 min) using a vapor cap, with the right eyes serving as controls. Injury progression was evaluated for 25 days post-exposure. CP-exposure caused a significant corneal ulceration and eyelid swelling which resolved by day 14 post exposure. In addition, CP-exposure caused significant corneal opacity and neovascularization. Development of hydrops (severe corneal edema with corneal bullae) and hyphema (blood accumulation in the anterior chamber) was observed as advanced CP effects. Mice were euthanized at day 25 post-CP-exposure, and the eyes were harvested to further study the corneal injury. Histopathological analyses showed a significant CP-induced decrease in corneal epithelial thickness and increased stromal thickness with more pronounced damage, including stromal fibrosis, edema, neovascularization, trapped epithelial cells, anterior and posterior synechiae, and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Loss of the corneal endothelial cells and Descemet's membrane could be associated with the CP-induced corneal edema and hydrops which could lead to long term term pathological conditions. Although exposure to 20% CP for 1 min caused more eyelid swelling, ulceration, and hyphema, similar effects were observed with all CP exposures. These novel findings following CP ocular exposure in a mouse model outline the corneal histopathologic changes that associate with the continuing ocular clinical effects. The data are useful in designing further studies to identify and correlate the clinical and biological markers of CP ocular injury progression with acute and long-term toxic effects on cornea and other ocular tissues. We take a crucial step towards CP ocular injury model development and in pathophysiological studies to identify molecular targets for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Okoyeocha Om Ebenezar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Andrew Roney
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Dinesh G Goswami
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - J Mark Petrash
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Dodd Sledge
- Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - András M Komáromy
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Karen T Liby
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Neera Tewari-Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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