Subacute effects of inhaled Jet Fuel-A (Jet A) on airway and immune function in female rats

Abstract

Two studies were conducted to assess the potential airway and immune effects following subacute (14 d) exposure of female rats to 500, 1000 or 2000 mg/m³ of Jet-A for 4 h/d. The first study used Sprague-Dawley rats; the second study included both Fischer 344 (F344) and Sprague-Dawley rats. In the first study, exposure to 2000 mg/m³ jet fuel may have caused significant upper airway inflammation on day 7 post-exposure, as indicated by elevated protein and lactate dehydrogenase in nasal lavage fluid, but any inflammation resolved by day 14 post-exposure. No significant impact on immune cell populations in the spleens was observed. The histological examination showed no evidence of infectious or toxic effect. In the second study, body weights of the F344 rats in the 2000 mg/m³ group were depressed, as compared to the controls, at the end of the exposure. Some lung lavage fluid markers were increased at 24 h after the final exposure, however, no test article-induced histological changes were observed in the lungs, nasal cavities, or any other tissue of any of the jet fuel exposed animals. Overall, these studies demonstrated limited evidence of effects of 14 d of exposure to Jet A on the airways, immune system, or any other organ or system of female Sprague-Dawley and F344 rats, with no remarkable differences between strains. The lack of identified significant airway or immune effects was in contrast to previous examinations of jet fuel for pulmonary toxicity in mice and rats and for immunotoxicity in mice.

Comparative electrophysiological evaluation of hippocampal function following repeated inhalation exposures to JP-8, Jet A, JP-5, and the synthetic Fischer Tropsch fuel

“…A more pronounced fall in weight gain % was observed in rats exposed to high FT levels beginning as early as one week after treatment. Our data pertaining to weight are consistent with previous findings also demonstrating decreased weight gain with exposure to high levels of jet fuel (Mattie, Alden, and Newell 1991;Mattie and Sterner 2011a;Sweeney, Prues, and Reboulet 2013). According to these investigators, there were minute systemic effects seen in subchronic (90 d) exposures to JP-8 (Mattie, Alden, and Newell 1991;Mattie and Sterner 2011a), FP (Mattie et al 2011), or 14-d to Jet A (Sweeney, Prues, and Reboulet 2013).…”

“…With Jet A, both groups exposed to medium and high levels displayed significantly less % weight gain compared to control. Similar to JP-8, this significant alteration in weight gain was found as early as the second week of exposure, consistent with an earlier Jet A study (Sweeney, Prues, and Reboulet 2013). Rats exposed to the high concentration of JP-5 showed a reduction in weight gain compared to control also from the second week of fuel exposures similar to Jet A.…”

“…The no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs) for JP-8 and JP-5 inhalational exposures of 24 hr/d for 90 d in Fischer-344 (F344) rats were determined to be at 1000 and 750 mg/m 3 , respectively Vernot 1984, 1985;Mattie, Alden, and Newell 1991;Risher et al 2017). Previously, a 14-d inhalational exposure of Jet A (4 hr/d, 5 d per week) on female F344 and Sprague Dawley rats found an NOAEL of 1980 mg/m 3 (Risher et al 2017;Sweeney, Prues, and Reboulet 2013). A 90-d inhalational FT exposure study at 6 hr/d, 5 d per week, revealed few adverse clinical observations such as decreased weight gain and scaly skin in the high exposure group (2000 mg/m 3 ) that were not dose-response related (Mattie et al 2011b).…”

Occupational exposure and markers of genetic damage, systemic inflammation and lung function: a Danish cross-sectional study among air force personnel

“…Jet fuel subacute exposure demonstrated limited effect on the airways or immune system in an animal model 45 . TPHP and TDCIPP might have potential for immunotoxicity, observed on murine dendritic cells in vitro 46 .…”

Comments for the Update to the ATSDR Toxicological Profile for JP-5 and JP-8 Occurring in FY14

“…The portion (percentage) of aerosol in a combined vapor and aerosol jet fuel exposure typically increases when the overall exposure concentration increases. Fully characterized exposures show aerosols ranging from 4.2 to 19 percent for Jet A concentrations of 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/m 3 in two 14-day inhalation studies (Sweeney et al, 2013). The Jet A used in these studies was essentially JP-8 without the military additives and was generated with a Sonimist® ultrasonic spray nozzle.…”