Analysis of two routes of exposure of DFP to determine tissue cellular response

Taylor M Guidry*, Cayla J Lynch, Mackenzie S Newman, and Jonathan W Boyd
West Virginia University Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505

Presentation No.: 78

Assigned Category (Presentation Format): Health Sciences (Poster Presentations)

Student’s Major: Immunology and Medical Microbiology

Diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) is a toxic substance that leads to seizures and death. It has been used worldwide as a pesticide and a chemical warfare agent mimetic, but research regarding tissue response is limited. This study aimed to comparatively analyze two routes of exposure of DFP, inhalation and subcutaneous injection of moderate and high doses, to determine the impacts in mice on tissue cellular responses. To do this, protein content in brain, heart, and lungs was analyzed using a bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was run to determine differences in protein concentrations between doses and administration route. No statistical significance was found for any comparisons. These results indicate that the administration route of DFP does not have a significant impact on protein concentration in an organ-dependent manner. Further, no differences were noted in protein concentration between high and moderate doses administered. More research is warranted into other tissues and the length of time post-administration. All safety and handling protocols were approved by WVU EHS and WVU ACUC.

Funding: SURE 12300771

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: WVU's SURE program (Rita Rio & Michelle Richards-Babb)