Effect of dietary treatment with n-propyl gallate or vitamin E on the survival of mice exposed to phosgene
✍ Scribed by A. M. Sciuto; T. S. Moran
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2001
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 128 KB
- Volume
- 21
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0260-437X
- DOI
- 10.1002/jat.729
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Phosgene, widely used in industrial processes, can cause life‐threatening pulmonary edema and acute lung injury. One mechanism of protection against phosgene‐induced lung injury may involve the use of antioxidants. The present study focused on dietary supplementation in mice using n‐propyl gallate (nPG)—a gallate acid ester compound used infood preservation—and vitamin E. Five groups of male mice were studied: group 1, control‐fed with Purina^®^ rodent chow 5002; group 2, fed 0.75% nPG (w/w) in 5002; group 3, fed 1.5% nPG (w/w) in 5002; group 4 fed 1% (w/w) vitamin E in 5002; and group 5, fed 2% (w/w) vitamin E also in 5002. Mice were fed for 23 days. On day 23 mice were exposed to 32 mg m^−3^ (8 ppm) phosgene for 20 min (640 mg · min m^−3^) in a whole‐body exposure chamber. Survival rates were determined at 12 and 24 h. In mice that died within 12 h, the lungs were removed and lung wet weights, dry weights, wet/dry weight ratios, lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS) and glutathione (GSH) were assessed. Vitamin E had no positive effect on any outcome measured. There was no significant difference between 1.5% nPG and any parameter measured or survival rate compared with 5002 + phosgene. However, dietary treatment with 0.75% nPG significantly increased survival rate (P ⩽ 0.002) and lowered TBARS (P ⩽ 0.05) compared with 5002 + phosgene at 12 h after exposure. Mice fed 0.75% nPG had a lower wet/dry wt ratio compared with those fed 1.5% nPG and a significantly increased lung tissue GSH 36%, compared with the 5002 + phosgene group. In conclusion, dietary treatment with a low level of the antioxidant nPG protected mice by decreasing lipid peroxidation and increasing lung tissue GSH. The higher level of nPG and both levels of vitamin E diets were ineffective, suggesting that a ceiling threshold level of antioxidants in lung tissue is required for survival against phosgene‐induced lung injury. Published in 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.