Community health assessment following mercaptan spill: Eight Mile, Mobile County, Alabama, September 2012.

Context: In 2008, a lightning strike caused a leak of tert-butyl mercaptan from its storage tank at the Gulf South Natural Gas Pumping Station in Prichard, Alabama. On July 27, 2012, the Alabama Department of Public Health requested Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemiologic assistance investigating possible health effects resulting from airborne exposure to mercaptan from a contaminated groundwater spring, identified in January 2012.

Objective: To assess the self-reported health effects in the community, to determine the scope of the reported medical services received, and to develop recommendations for prevention and response to future incidents.

The oxime pro-2-PAM provides minimal protection against the CNS effects of the nerve agents sarin, cyclosarin, and VX in guinea pigs.

This study examined whether pro-2-PAM, a pro-drug dihydropyridine derivative of the oxime 2-pralidoxime (2-PAM) that can penetrate the brain, could prevent or reverse the central toxic effects of three nerve agents; sarin, cyclosarin, and VX. The first experiment tested whether pro-2-PAM could reactivate guinea pig cholinesterase (ChE) in vivo in central and peripheral tissues inhibited by these nerve agents. Pro-2-PAM produced a dose-dependent reactivation of sarin- or VX-inhibited ChE in both peripheral and brain tissues, but with substantially greater reactivation in peripheral tissues compared to brain.

In vivo oxime administration does not influence Ellman acetylcholinesterase assay results.

Organophosphorus compounds (OPs) are potent inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Treatment for OP poisoning is by administration of atropine sulfate, an oxime, and diazepam. Oximes such as 2-PAM are used to reactivate OP-inhibited AChE so as to restore normal enzymatic function and serve as a true antidote.

Mechanisms of butylated hydroxytoluene chemoprevention of aflatoxicosis--inhibition of aflatoxin B1 metabolism.

Chemoprevention of toxicoses and/or cancer through the use of nutrients or pharmacologic compounds is the subject of intense study. Among the many compounds examined, food additives such as antioxidants are being considered due to their ability to reduce disease formation by either induction or inhibition of key enzyme systems. One such compound, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), has been found to protect against cancer formation caused by exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in rodents.

Effects of PCB exposure on the toxic impact of organophosphorus insecticides.

Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can alter the metabolism of organophosphorus (OP) insecticides. Female rats were fed vanilla wafers containing either 4 mg/kg/day of Aroclor 1254 (PCB-treated) or safflower oil (oil-treated) for 50 days. Rats were then injected, ip, with corn oil, parathion (P=S), methyl parathion (MP=S), chlorpyrifos (C=S), paraoxon (P=O), methyl paraoxon (MP=O), or chlorpyrifos-oxon (C=O).