Abstract
Ricin is one of the most poisonous natural toxins from plants and is classified as a Class B biological threat pathogen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of U.S.A. Ricin exposure can occur through oral or aerosol routes. Ricin poisoning has a rapid onset and a short incubation period. There is no effective treatment for ricin poisoning. In this study, an aerosolized ricin-exposed mouse model was developed and the pathology was investigated. The protein expression profile in the ricin-poisoned mouse lung tissue was analyzed using proteomic techniques to determine the proteins that were closely related to the toxicity of ricin. 2D gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry and subsequent biological functional analysis revealed that six proteins including Apoa1 apolipoprotein, Ywhaz 14-3-3 protein, Prdx6 Uncharacterized Protein, Selenium-binding protein 1, HMGB1, and DPYL-2, were highly related to ricin poisoning.
Highlights
Ricin, a glycoprotein derived from the castor bean, is extremely toxic if taken in through oral, respiratory, or percutaneous routes
SBP1 expression decreased after lung injury, which may be related to DNA damage and apoptosis resulted from ricin poisoning
The present study developed an aerosolized ricin-poisoned mouse model
Summary
A glycoprotein derived from the castor bean, is extremely toxic if taken in through oral, respiratory, or percutaneous routes. Considerably less potent than botulinum neurotoxins and staphylococcal enterotoxins, ricin is still considered a significantly potential biological weapon because of its stability and worldwide availability as a by-product of castor oil production. It has been associated with several terrorist actions and is a potential bioterrorism agent [7]. Aerosolized ricin exposure leads to weakness, fever, cough, and pulmonary edema symptoms within 18–24 h and severe respiratory distress and even death within 36–72 h [14]. Proteomic technique was used to explore the mechanism of ricin aerosol exposure-induced lung injury in mice. Since there is no effective drug or clinically approved vaccine for ricin poisoning, a better understanding of the mechanism of the ricin toxicity can offer new directions to develop new treatments for the respiratory poisoning caused by ricin aerosol
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