The response of two mustard (Brassica juncea L.) cultivars differing in photosynthetic capacity to different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or nickel (Ni) was evaluated. Further, the effect of H2O2 on photosynthetic responses of the mustard cultivars grown with or without Ni stress was studied. Application of 50 μM H2O2 increased photosynthesis and growth more prominently in high ph...

Background: Sulfur mustard (2,2’-bis-chloroethyl-sulfide; SM) has been a military threat since the World War I. SM is the major chemical warfare agent used by Japan during World War II. The clinical picture of poisoning, including cutaneous blisters, respiratory tract damage, ocular lesions and bone marrow depression is well known. In this report, we describe a civilian exposure in August 2003,...

Over 100,000 Iranian war veterans suffer from chronic effects of mustard gas exposure. Sulfur mustard was used by Iraq during the Iraqi-imposed war on Iran (between 1980 and 1988). The major complaints of these patients are mild interstitial fibrosis and bronchiolitis. We aimed to determine the state of fibrosis progression and assessed transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 levels in pulmonary...

Sulfur mustard is a chemical warfare agent that causes blistering of the skin and damages the eyes and airway after environmental exposure. We have previously reported that thiodiglycol (TDG, 2,2'-bis-thiodiethanol), the hydrolysis product of sulfur mustard, is oxidized by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) purified from horse liver or present in mouse liver and human skin cytosol. Humans express four...

Sulfur mustard is a vesicant agent with severe irritating effects on living tissues, including skin, mucous membranes, eyes, and the respiratory tract. The eyes are the most susceptible tissue to mustard gas effects, and varying degrees of ocular involvement are seen in 75% to 90% of exposed individuals. Most cases resolve uneventfully; however, a minority of exposed patients will have a contin...

In this work a novel bioassay for mustard agent detection was proposed. The bioassay is based on the capability of these compounds to inhibit the enzyme choline oxidase. The enzymatic activity, which is correlated to the mustard agents, was electrochemically monitored measuring the enzymatic product, hydrogen peroxide, by means of a screen-printed electrode modified with Prussian Blue nanoparti...

Sulfur mustard (SM), a potent chemical weapon agent, was used by Iraqi forces against Iranian in the Iraq-Iran war (1981-1989). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a late toxic pulmonary consequence after SM exposure. The COPD observed in these patients is unique (described as Mustard Lung) and to some extent different from COPD resulted from other well-known causes. Several mechani...

The decontamination and remediation of sulfur mustard chemical warfare agents remains an ongoing challenge. Herein, we report the use of "off-the-shelf" metal salts alongside commercially available peroxides to catalyze the degradation of the simulant 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) in solution and encapsulated within a supramolecular gel.