Protective Effect of Liposome-Encapsulated Glutathione in a Human Epidermal Model Exposed to a Mustard Gas Analog

Abstract

Sulfur mustard or mustard gas (HD) and its monofunctional analog, 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES), or “half-mustard gas,” are alkylating agents that induce DNA damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation. HD/CEES are rapidly absorbed in the skin causing extensive injury. We hypothesize that antioxidant liposomes that deliver both water-soluble and lipid-soluble antioxidants protect skin cells from immediate CEES-induced damage via attenuating oxidative stress. Liposomes containing water-soluble antioxidants and/or lipid-soluble antioxidants were evaluated usingin vitromodel systems. Initially, we found that liposomes containing encapsulated glutathione (GSH-liposomes) increased cell viability and attenuated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HaCaT cells exposed to CEES. Next, GSH-liposomes were tested in a human epidermal model, EpiDerm. In the EpiDerm, GSH-liposomes administered simultaneously or 1 hour after CEES exposure (2.5 mM) increased cell viability, inhibited CEES-induced loss of ATP and attenuated changes in cellular morphology, but did not reduce caspase-3 activity. These findings paralleled the previously describedin vivoprotective effect of antioxidant liposomes in the rat lung and established the effectiveness of GSH-liposomes in a human epidermal model. This study provides a rationale for use of antioxidant liposomes against HD toxicity in the skin considering further verification in animal models exposed to HD.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2011
Source ID
10.1155/2011/109516

Entities

People

  • Hongsong Yang
  • Marianne Brannon
  • Milton G. Smith
  • Naga Kanaparthy
  • Sudha Kumari
  • Victor Paromov
  • William L. Stone

Organizations

  • East Tennessee State University
  • United States Army Medical Research and Development Command

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Geochemistry
  • Immunology
  • Oncology (Cancer Research).