Protective effect of various antioxidants on the toxicity of sulphur mustard administered to mice by inhalation or percutaneous routes

Protective effect of various antioxidants, trolox (water soluble analogue o f vitamin E), quercetin (bioflavonoid) and glutathione reduced (GSH), was s tudied following sulphur mustard (SM) intoxication. SM? a blistering agent was administered to Swiss albino female mice through inhalation (I LC50 = 4 2.3 mg/m(3) for 1 h duration; 14 days observation for mortality) and percut aneous (1 LD50 = 154.7 mg/kg; 7 days observation for mortality) routes. The antioxidants were administered three times at the dose of trolox, 500 mug/ kg; quercetin, 5 mg/kg and GSH, 400 mg/kg body weight by intraperitoneal in jection, one immediately following SM exposure, then once each day for 2 da ys after SM treatment. The effect of antioxidants on survival. markers of o xidative damage and purine metabolites was investigated. Survival study ani mals were observes for 14 days. Oxidative markers (in blood, liver and lung ) and purine metabolites (in blood and urine) were investigated 7? h after SM treatment. Survival time increased significantly following trolox and qu ercetin treatments through the inhalation route. Significant decrease in GS H and increase in the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) indicated oxidative da mage to liver and lung tissues following SM inhalation and percutaneous exp osure. Blood and urinary uric add, end product of purine metabolism showed an increased following both routes of exposures. The antioxidants, trolox a nd quercetin protected the liver and lung tissues from oxidative damage cau sed by SM exposure through inhalation and percutaneous routes. This study s howed that antioxidants could enhance survival time, protect liver and lung from oxidative damage and reduce accumulation of purine metabolites in blo od following SM intoxication. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.