Determination of ATP Levels in Sulfur Mustard-Exposed Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes by a Chemiluminescent Assay

摘要

Sulfur mustard (HD) is a powerful blistering agent whose mechanism is poorly understood. One of the effects of this chemical warfare agent is to lower NAD+ levels through the activation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase; HD also depletes ATP, the major energy supply for biochemical reactions within the cell. ATP is a biological marker that can be measured in HD-exposed cells by using a chemiluminescent reaction based on the luciferin-luciferase reaction. This assay is conveniently measured by the use of a luminometer and exhibits a reproducible linear standard curve. Three prototypic inhibitors of the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase have been studied to determine their effect on restoring or maintaining ATP levels in HD- exposed human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL).