Epigenetic perturbations in the pathogenesis of mustard toxicity; hypothesis and preliminary results

Among the most readily available chemical warfare agents, sulfur mustard (SM), also known as mustard gas, has been the most widely used chemical weapon. SM causes debilitating effects that can leave an exposed individual incapacitated for days to months; therefore delayed SM toxicity is of much greater importance than its ability to cause lethality. Although not fully understood, acute toxicity of SM is related to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, oxidative stress, DNA damage, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation and energy depletion within the affected cell. Therefore several antioxidants and PARP inhibitors show beneficial effects against acute SM toxicity. The delayed toxicity of SM however, currently has no clear mechanistic explanation. One third of the 100,000 Iranian casualties are still suffering from the detrimental effects of SM in spite of the extensive treatment. We, therefore, made an attempt whether epigenetic aberrations may contribute to pathogenesis of mustard poisoning. Preliminary evidence reveals that mechlorethamine (a nitrogen mustard derivative) exposure may not only cause oxidative stress, DNA damage, but epigenetic perturbations as well. Epigenetic refers to the study of changes that influence the phenotype without causing alteration of the genotype. It involves changes in the properties of a cell that are inherited but do not involve a change in DNA sequence. It is now known that in addition to mutations, epimutations contribute to a variety of human diseases. Under light of preliminary results, the current hypothesis will focus on epigenetic regulations to clarify mustard toxicity and the use of drugs to correct possible epigenetic defects

Modeling of X-ray resonance lines emitted from laser produced copper plasma

In this study, x-rays emitted from Ne-like and F-like copper plasmas have been modeled by modifying the original atomic and hydrodynamic EHYBRID code. X-ray resonance lines between 8 Å and 13 Å, and X-ray intensities from free-free and free-bound emission with the Si-, Al-, Mg-, Na-, Ne- and F–like ions emitted from copper plasmas created by KrF laser pulses have been modeled using single pulse configurations. Laser energy to x-ray energy conversion efficiencies have been calculated. For example; 0.195 % x-ray conversion efficiency is calculated from copper plasma created using a 249 nm, 25 ns pulse duration KrF laser pulse focused to $2\times 10^{13}$ W/cm$^{2}$ in good agreement with published experimental measurements. For example, x-ray energy conversion efficiency for $2\times 10^{13}$ W/cm$^{2}$ and 18 ns pulse duration is calculated as 1.29 % over 2$\rm\pi$ sr

Green alcoholic solvent and UAE extraction of oleuropein from the Olea europaea L.leaves: Experimental design, optimization, and comparison with Pharmacopoeia method

Solvent extraction and UAE were studied for the extraction of the polyphenolic compounds from the olive leaf in MeOH/H 2 O and EtOH/H 2 O solvent systems. Box Wilson-CCRD design was used under RSM for the experimental design of alcoholic solvent extraction. Multi-response optimization was solved with the help of pareto areas and optimal input variable values were determined by the desirability function, optimization by fuzzy similar precedable ratio method. It is seen that the developed solvent extraction methods are more advantageous to the European Pharmacopoeia method for especially oleuropein and the other phenolics which have synergetic effect in olive leaf extract. © 2019, © 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC