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ToxSci Advance Access published online on October 23, 2006
Toxicological Sciences, doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfl138
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Received July 19, 2006
Accepted October 14, 2006

Safety Evaluation

Pulmonary Biochemical and Histological Altrations After Repeated Low-Level Blast Overpressure Exposures

Nabil M. Elsayed 1 * and Nikolai V. Gorbunov 2

1 Department of Scientific Affairs, Hurley Consulting Associates, Chatham, New Jersey 07928; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203
2 Division of Military Casualty Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nabil M. Elsayed, E-mail: nelsayed{at}hurleyconsulting.com


  Abstract

Blast overpressure (BOP), also known as high energy impulse noise, is a damaging outcome of explosive detonations and firing of weapons. Exposure to BOP shock waves alone results in injury predominantly to the hollow organ systems such as auditory, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. In recent years the hazards of BOP that once were confined to military and professional settings have become a global societal problem as terrorist bombings and armed conflicts involving both military and civilian populations increased significantly. We have previously investigated the effects of single BOP exposures at different peak pressures. In this study, we examined the effects of repeated exposure to a low-level BOP and whether the number of exposures or time after exposure would alter the injury outcome. We exposed deeply anesthetized rats to simulated BOP at 62±2 kPa peak pressure. The lungs were examined immediately after 1 exposure (1+0), or 1 hour after 1 (1+1), 2 (2+1), or 3 (3+1) consecutive exposures at 3 min interval. In one group of animals, we examined the effects of repeated exposure on lung weight, methemoglobin, transferrin, antioxidants and lipid peroxidation. In a second group, the lungs were fixed inflated at 25 cm water, sectioned, and examined histologically after 1-3 repeated exposures, or after 1 exposure at 1h, 6h, and 24h. We found that single BOP exposure causes notable changes after 1h, and that repeating BOP exposure did not add markedly to the effect of the first one. However, the effects increased significantly with time from 1-24 hours. These observations have biological and occupational implications, and emphasize the need for protection from low-level BOP, and for prompt treatment within the first hour following BOP exposure.

Keywords: Blast overpressure; Explosive detonation; Lung injury; Repeated blast exposures; Pulmonary biochemical and histological responses.
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