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Uranium induces oxidative stress in lung epithelial cells

  • Inorganic Compounds
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Abstract

Uranium compounds are widely used in the nuclear fuel cycle, antitank weapons, tank armor, and also as a pigment to color ceramics and glass. Effective management of waste uranium compounds is necessary to prevent exposure to avoid adverse health effects on the population. Health risks associated with uranium exposure includes kidney disease and respiratory disorders. In addition, several published results have shown uranium or depleted uranium causes DNA damage, mutagenicity, cancer and neurological defects. In the current study, uranium toxicity was evaluated in rat lung epithelial cells. The study shows uranium induces significant oxidative stress in rat lung epithelial cells followed by concomitant decrease in the antioxidant potential of the cells. Treatment with uranium to rat lung epithelial cells also decreased cell proliferation after 72 h in culture. The decrease in cell proliferation was attributed to loss of total glutathione and superoxide dismutase in the presence of uranium. Thus the results indicate the ineffectiveness of antioxidant system’s response to the oxidative stress induced by uranium in the cells.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by NASA funding NCC 9-165: NCC-1-02038: NAG 9-1414: NIH/RCMI RR03045-19 (GR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Neurotoxicology Laboratory/Proteomics Core, Department of Biology, Texas Southern University, 3100 Cleburne St, Houston, TX, 77004, USA

    Adaikkappan Periyakaruppan, Felix Kumar, Shubhashish Sarkar, Chidananda S. Sharma & Govindarajan T. Ramesh

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  1. Adaikkappan Periyakaruppan
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  2. Felix Kumar
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  3. Shubhashish Sarkar
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  4. Chidananda S. Sharma
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  5. Govindarajan T. Ramesh
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Correspondence to Govindarajan T. Ramesh.

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Periyakaruppan, A., Kumar, F., Sarkar, S. et al. Uranium induces oxidative stress in lung epithelial cells. Arch Toxicol 81, 389–395 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-006-0167-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-006-0167-0

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