Interaction of Jet Fuel Hydrocarbon Components with Red Blood Cells and Hemoglobin
Abstract
This study examined the impact of five jet fuel hydrocarbon components on red blood cells (RBCs). We examined the biochemical changes to RBCs by measuring mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and red cell distribution width (RDW). Exposed cells were imaged using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to verify morphological changes. The induction of oxidative stress was examined using glutathione (GSH) depletion as a marker of reactive oxygen species. Finally, microscale thermophoresis (MST) was used to determine the binding interactions between human hemoglobin and the test set of hydrocarbon compounds. For some chemicals, MCV (toluene, decane), RDW (toluene, octane, ethylbenzene), and MCH (ethylbenzene) values were sensitive to exposure incubation temperatures (room temperature versus 37 oC). SEMimaging indicated formation of ~1% crenated red blood cells in all lower dose exposure sets. Dose dependent oxidative stress was seen for all chemical exposures with the exception of high concentrations of tetradecane and toluene. MST revealed binding affinities between purified human hemoglobin monomer and the hydrocarbons decane (KD = 2.4 micro M), tetradecane (KD = 8.8 micro M), and octane (KD = 5.6 micro M), with toluene demonstrating the tightest binding to hemoglobin at KD = 1.9 micro M. Collectively, the apparent increase in the surface area of the cell membrane, GSH depletion, and interaction between the hydrocarbon and hemoglobin molecule may contribute to potential toxicity of these chemicals causing adverse effects on hemodynamics and circulatory function.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 24, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA619598
Entities
People
- Anthony B. Polito Iii
- Camilla A. Mauzy
- Elizabeth I. Maurer
- Jason J. Jacobsen
- Jeanette S. Frey
- Richard R Chapleau
- Trevor J Bihl
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory