Protective role of mesenchymal stem cells transfected with miRNA-378a-5p in phosgene inhalation lung injury

Countermeasures against Pulmonary Threat Agents

Inhaled toxicants are used for diverse purposes, ranging from industrial applications such as agriculture, sanitation, and fumigation to crowd control and chemical warfare, and acute exposure can induce lasting respiratory complications. The intentional release of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) during World War I caused life-long damage for survivors, and CWA use is outlawed by international treaties. However, in the past two decades, chemical warfare use has surged in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, with a shift toward lung toxicants. The potential use of industrial and agricultural chemicals in rogue activities is a major concern as they are often stored and transported near populated areas, where intentional or accidental release can cause severe injuries and fatalities. Despite laws and regulatory agencies that regulate use, storage, transport, emissions, and disposal, inhalational exposures continue to cause lasting lung injury. Industrial irritants (e.g., ammonia) aggravate the upper respiratory tract, causing pneumonitis, bronchoconstriction, and dyspnea. Irritant gases (e.g., acrolein, chloropicrin) affect epithelial barrier integrity and cause tissue damage through reactive intermediates or by direct adduction of cysteine-rich proteins. Symptoms of CWAs (e.g., chlorine gas, phosgene, sulfur mustard) progress from airway obstruction and pulmonary edema to acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which results in respiratory depression days later. Emergency treatment is limited to supportive care using bronchodilators to control airway constriction and rescue with mechanical ventilation to improve gas exchange. Complications from acute exposure can promote obstructive lung disease and/or pulmonary fibrosis, which require long-term clinical care. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Inhaled chemical threats are of growing concern in both civilian and military settings, and there is an increased need to reduce acute lung injury and delayed clinical complications from exposures. This minireview highlights our current understanding of acute toxicity and pathophysiology of a select number of chemicals of concern. It discusses potential early-stage therapeutic development as well as challenges in developing countermeasures applicable for administration in mass casualty situations.

Phosgene-Induced acute lung injury: Approaches for mechanism-based treatment strategies

Phosgene (COCl2) gas is a chemical intermediate of high-volume production with numerous industrial applications worldwide. Due to its high toxicity, accidental exposure to phosgene leads to various chemical injuries, primarily resulting in chemical-induced lung injury due to inhalation. Initially, the illness is mild and presents as coughing, chest tightness, and wheezing; however, within a few hours, symptoms progress to chronic respiratory depression, refractory pulmonary edema, dyspnea, and hypoxemia, which may contribute to acute respiratory distress syndrome or even death in severe cases. Despite rapid advances in medicine, effective treatments for phosgene-inhaled poisoning are lacking. Elucidating the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of acute inhalation toxicity caused by phosgene is necessary for the development of appropriate therapeutics. In this review, we discuss extant literature on relevant mechanisms and therapeutic strategies to highlight novel ideas for the treatment of phosgene-induced acute lung injury.

Metal-Decorated Phthalocyanine Monolayer as a Potential Gas Sensing Material for Phosgene: A First-Principles Study

Research into a gas sensing material with excellent performance to detect or remove toxic phosgene (COCl2) is of great significance to environmental and biological protection. In the present work, the adsorption performance of COCl2 on pristine phthalocyanine (Pc) and metal-decorated Pc (MePc, Me = Cu, Ga, and Ru) monolayers was studied by first-principles calculations. The results show that the absorption process of COCl2 on pristine Pc and CuPc both belong to physisorption, indicating that they are not suitable gas sensing materials for COCl2. When Pc sheets are decorated by Ga and Ru atoms, the adsorption of COCl2 is changed into chemisorption, and the corresponding adsorption energies are -0.57 and -0.50 eV for GaPc and RuPc, respectively. The microcosmic mechanism between COCl2 and adsorbents (GaPc, RuPc) was clarified by the analysis of the density of states, the charge density difference, and the Hirshfeld charge. In addition, the COCl2 adsorption results in a significant conductivity variation of the RuPc monolayer, demonstrating it exhibits a high sensitivity to the COCl2 molecule. Meanwhile, quick desorption processes were noticed at various temperatures for the COCl2/RuPc system. Consequently, the RuPc monolayer can be considered as a potential candidate for phosgene sensors because of the moderate adsorption strength, high sensitivity, and fast desorption speed.

Lung-derived exosomes regulate the function of mesenchymal stem cells and alleviate phosgene-induced lung injury via miR-34c-3p

Phosgene may induce acute lung injury (ALI) when a person is exposed to it. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were affirmed to have therapeutic effects on phosgene-induced ALI. In a previous study, ALI exosomes have been confirmed to promote the proliferation and migration of MSCs. However, the mechanism of this phenomenon is still unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are essential in the physiological process of cells. In this study, lung-derived exosomes were isolated from phosgene-exposed and normal rats, respectively, through ultracentrifugation and cultured MSCs with these exosomes. We found that rno-miR-34c-3p was downregulated in MSCs cocultured with ALI exosomes. MiR-34c-3p inhibitor promoted the proliferation and migration of MSCs. Moreover, the dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-34c-3p regulated Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) expression. The miR-34c-3p inhibitor also significantly activated the JAK1/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway. In conclusion, ALI exosomes decrease the miR-34c-3p expression levels, influencing MSCs via the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway.