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Rozsypal T. Persistence of A-234 nerve agent on indoor surfaces. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 357:141968. [PMID: 38615965 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the fundamental physical characteristics of extremely toxic compounds and their behavior across different environments plays a crucial role in assessing their danger. Additionally, this knowledge informs the development of protocols for gathering forensic evidence related to harmful chemicals misuse. In 2018, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned in Salisbury, England, with a substance later identified as the unconventional nerve agent A-234. Contamination with the compound was found on items inside Skripal's home. The aim of this paper was to determine the persistence of A-234 on selected indoor surfaces. Ceramics, aluminum can, laminated chipboard, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) floor tile, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle, acrylic paint and computer keyboard were used as matrices. The decrease in surface contamination and further fate of the compound was monitored for 12 weeks. Persistence determination involved optimizing the wipe sampling method. Simultaneously, evaporation from the surface and permeation of the contaminant into the matrix were closely monitored. The experimental findings indicate that the nerve agent exhibits remarkable persistence, particularly on impermeable surfaces. Notably, the process of A-234 evaporation plays a minor role in determining its fate, with detectable concentrations observed solely above solid, non-porous surfaces such as ceramics and aluminum can. The surface persistence half-life varied significantly, ranging from 12 min to 478 days, depending on the material. The article has implications for emergency response protocols, decontamination strategies, public health and crime scene investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Rozsypal
- Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence Institute, University of Defence, Vita Nejedleho 1, 68203, Vyskov, Czech Republic.
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2
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Clay WK, Buck AK, He Y, Hernández Sánchez DN, Ward NA, Lear JM, Nguyen KQ, Clark BH, Sapia RJ, Lalisse RF, Sriraman A, Cadieux CL, McElroy CA, Callam CS, Hadad CM. Treatment of Organophosphorus Poisoning with 6-Alkoxypyridin-3-ol Quinone Methide Precursors: Resurrection of Methylphosphonate-Aged Acetylcholinesterase. Chem Res Toxicol 2024; 37:643-657. [PMID: 38556765 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.4c00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), creating a cholinergic crisis in which death can occur. The phosphylated serine residue spontaneously dealkylates to the OP-aged form, which current therapeutics cannot reverse. Soman's aging half-life is 4.2 min, so immediate recovery (resurrection) of OP-aged AChE is needed. In 2018, we showed pyridin-3-ol-based quinone methide precursors (QMPs) can resurrect OP-aged electric eel AChE in vitro, achieving 2% resurrection after 24 h of incubation (pH 7, 4 mM). We prepared 50 unique 6-alkoxypyridin-3-ol QMPs with 10 alkoxy groups and five amine leaving groups to improve AChE resurrection. These compounds are predicted in silico to cross the blood-brain barrier and treat AChE in the central nervous system. This library resurrected 7.9% activity of OP-aged recombinant human AChE after 24 h at 250 μM, a 4-fold increase from our 2018 report. The best QMP (1b), with a 6-methoxypyridin-3-ol core and a diethylamine leaving group, recovered 20.8% (1 mM), 34% (4 mM), and 42.5% (predicted maximum) of methylphosphonate-aged AChE activity over 24 h. Seven QMPs recovered activity from AChE aged with Soman and a VX degradation product (EA-2192). We hypothesize that QMPs form the quinone methide (QM) to realkylate the phosphylated serine residue as the first step of resurrection. We calculated thermodynamic energetics for QM formation, but there was no trend with the experimental biochemical data. Molecular docking studies revealed that QMP binding to OP-aged AChE is not the determining factor for the observed biochemical trends; thus, QM formation may be enzyme-mediated.
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Affiliation(s)
- William K Clay
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Anne K Buck
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Yiran He
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Dalyanne N Hernández Sánchez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Nathan A Ward
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Jeremy M Lear
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Kenny Q Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Benjamin H Clark
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Ryan J Sapia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Remy F Lalisse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Aishwarya Sriraman
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, 1299 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, 8350 Ricketts Point Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010, United States
| | - C Linn Cadieux
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, 8350 Ricketts Point Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010, United States
| | - Craig A McElroy
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Christopher S Callam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Christopher M Hadad
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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Jeong K, Kim H, Min S, Yoon YW, Cho Y, Park CH, Ryu TI, Hwang SR, Namgoong SK. DFT-Spectroscopy Integrated Identification Method on Unknown Terrorist Chemical Mixtures by Incorporating Experimental and Theoretical GC-MS, NMR, IR, and DFT-NMR/IR Data. Anal Chem 2024; 96:694-700. [PMID: 38153912 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
In the event of a chemical attack, the rapid identification of unknown chemical agents is critical for an effective emergency response and treatment of victims. However, identifying unknown compounds is difficult, particularly when relying on traditional methods such as gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS, LC-MS). In this study, we developed a density functional theory and spectroscopy integrated identification method (D-SIIM) for the possible detection of unknown or unidentified terrorist materials, specifically chemical warfare agents (CWAs). The D-SIIM uses a combination of GC-MS, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and quantum chemical calculation-based NMR/IR predictions to identify potential CWA candidates based on their chemical signatures. Using D-SIIM, we successfully verified the presence of blister and nerve agent simulants in samples by excluding other compounds (ethyl propyl sulfide and methylphosphonic acid), which were predicted to be candidates with high probability by GC-MS. The findings of this study demonstrate that the D-SIIM can detect substances that are likely present in CWA mixtures and can be used to identify unknown terrorist chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keunhong Jeong
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, Korea Military Academy, Seoul 01805, South Korea
| | - Honghyun Kim
- Department of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Korea Military Academy, Seoul 01805, South Korea
| | - Sein Min
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul Women's University, Seoul 01797, South Korea
| | - Young Wook Yoon
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul Women's University, Seoul 01797, South Korea
| | - Yoonjae Cho
- Accident Coordination and Training Division, National Institute of Chemical Safety, 90 Gajeongbuk-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Choon Hwa Park
- Accident Coordination and Training Division, National Institute of Chemical Safety, 90 Gajeongbuk-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Tae In Ryu
- Accident Coordination and Training Division, National Institute of Chemical Safety, 90 Gajeongbuk-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Seung-Ryul Hwang
- Accident Coordination and Training Division, National Institute of Chemical Safety, 90 Gajeongbuk-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, South Korea
| | - Sung Keon Namgoong
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul Women's University, Seoul 01797, South Korea
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Pampalakis G. Underestimations in the In Silico-Predicted Toxicities of V-Agents. J Xenobiot 2023; 13:615-624. [PMID: 37873816 PMCID: PMC10594428 DOI: 10.3390/jox13040039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
V-agents are exceedingly toxic nerve agents. Recently, it was highlighted that V-agents constitute a diverse subclass of compounds with most of them not extensively studied. Although chemical weapons have been banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), there is an increased concern for chemical terrorism. Thus, it is important to understand their properties and toxicities, especially since some of these agents are not included in the CWC list. Nonetheless, to achieve this goal, the testing of a huge number of compounds is needed. Alternatively, in silico toxicology offers a great advantage for the rapid assessment of toxic compounds. Here, various in silico tools (TEST, VEGA, pkCSM ProTox-II) were used to estimate the acute oral toxicity (LD50) of different V-agents and compare them with experimental values. These programs underestimated the toxicity of V-agents, and certain V-agents were estimated to be relatively non-toxic. TEST was also used to estimate the physical properties and found to provide good approximations for densities, surface tensions and vapor pressures but not for viscosities. Thus, attention should be paid when interpreting and estimating the toxicities of V-agents in silico, and it is necessary to conduct future detailed experiments to understand their properties and develop effective countermeasures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Pampalakis
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Opravil J, Pejchal J, Finger V, Korabecny J, Rozsypal T, Hrabinova M, Muckova L, Hepnarova V, Konecny J, Soukup O, Jun D. A-agents, misleadingly known as "Novichoks": a narrative review. Arch Toxicol 2023; 97:2587-2607. [PMID: 37612377 PMCID: PMC10475003 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-023-03571-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
"Novichok" refers to a new group of nerve agents called the A-series agents. Their existence came to light in 2018 after incidents in the UK and again in 2020 in Russia. They are unique organophosphorus-based compounds developed during the Cold War in a program called Foliant in the USSR. This review is based on original chemical entities from Mirzayanov's memoirs published in 2008. Due to classified research, a considerable debate arose about their structures, and hence, various structural moieties were speculated. For this reason, the scientific literature is highly incomplete and, in some cases, contradictory. This review critically assesses the information published to date on this class of compounds. The scope of this work is to summarize all the available and relevant information, including the physicochemical properties, chemical synthesis, mechanism of action, toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and medical countermeasures used to date. The environmental stability of A-series agents, the lack of environmentally safe decontamination, their high toxicity, and the scarcity of information on post-contamination treatment pose a challenge for managing possible incidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Opravil
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Trebesska 1575, 500 01 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Pejchal
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Trebesska 1575, 500 01 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimir Finger
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Trebesska 1575, 500 01 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Korabecny
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Trebesska 1575, 500 01 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Rozsypal
- Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence Institute, University of Defence, Vita Nejedleho 1, 682 03 Vyskov, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Hrabinova
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Trebesska 1575, 500 01 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Lubica Muckova
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Trebesska 1575, 500 01 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Vendula Hepnarova
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Trebesska 1575, 500 01 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Konecny
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Trebesska 1575, 500 01 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Soukup
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Jun
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Trebesska 1575, 500 01 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
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Theoretical prediction on the hydrolysis rate of the new types of nerve agents: A density functional study. Toxicol Rep 2022; 10:27-31. [PMID: 36569478 PMCID: PMC9768234 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the hydrolysis mechanism of the nerve agents, which is the main decontamination pathway, has been studied experimentally and theoretically, the reliable theoretical prediction method for the hydrolysis rate is not studied yet. Furthermore, after the CWC (Chemical Warfare Agent) list is updated, Novichok candidate structures can be more than 10,000 structures, for which it is not possible to perform the experiment for all of them for synthesizing and getting the hydrolysis rate. Therefore, developing a reliable theoretical method for hydrolysis rate prediction is crucial to prepare for the forthcoming usage of new types of nerve agents. Herein, by using DFT (Density Functional Theory), we successfully developed a new method of predicting the hydrolysis rate on nerve agents by investigating the electrophilicity index (EI) of the various A-, V-, and G-series nerve agents and found a suitable correlation with the experimental hydrolysis rate. Among the several DFT methods, wb97xD predicts the EI with the lowest % deviation of the studied nerve agents. Our results show that EI can be a good indicator to predict the hydrolysis rate of the anticipated nerve agents. Based on the result, we predicted the hydrolysis rate on another type of Novichok candidates, which could be the firm basis for developing a decontaminant and antidote with much fewer experimental efforts on new types of nerve agents.
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