Inhalation of Uranium Oxide Aerosols: CNS Deposition, Neurotoxicity, and Role in Gulf War Illness
Abstract
This study investigates the potential for inhaled uranium oxide (UO) aerosols to penetrate the nose-brain barrier, directly enter the central nervous system (ONS), distribute within the ONS, and result in slowly developing neurotoxicity. Substantial inhalation exposures to depleted uranium (DU) may have occurred during the GW in several scenarios of varying duration and airborne uranium concentration. Penetration of the nose-brain barrier can result in CNS deposition of metals even if the blood-brain barrier limits penetration of systemically circulating material. Nasal inflammation is examined as a modifying factor that could result in increased sensitivity to uranium uptake via penetration of the nose-brain barrier. Nephrotoxic and pulmonary effects are evaluated to determine whether CNS effects can occur at lower thresholds than nephrotoxic effects. Soluble and insoluble uranium as well as mixtures are being studied. Analysis of tissues following acute (15 min), high dose (500 mg/cu m) uranium inhalation shows that soluble uranium (UO3) at those concentrations produces lethal kidney tubular necrosis in female animals, and that kidney toxicity resulting in uremic pneumonia in male and surviving female animals exposed to either DU oxides or soluble UO3 results in a lung fibrosis that persists for at least one year post-exposure. In a small subset of animals, uranium can be detected in the olfactory bulbs of the brain following inhalation of a 1 mg/cu m UO2+UO3 mixture for as little as 6 hours.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA429794
Entities
People
- Fletcher F. Hahn
- Graham Bench
- Johnnye L. Lewis
Organizations
- University of New Mexico