Inhalation Toxicology Core

 

 

 

 

Inhalation exposure to the more volatile PCBs in urban areas, near the Great Lakes, in areas where dredging is occurring, and at landfills and remediation sites has the potential to cause neurological, reproductive, and immunological toxicity in animals and humans. Projects 1, 2, and 3 will investigate the toxicological responses to atmospheric PCBs.

Our primary goal is to serve the other research support cores and the projects with state-of-the-art animal facilities and rigorously controlled inhalation exposures to realistic mixtures of airborne PCB congeners. In order to achieve this goal, we have established four specific aims:

Aim 1) Generate controlled PCB atmospheres in exposure chambers and collect airborne PCBs resulting from vaporization of common industrial PCB mixtures to facilitate the creation of a model exposure mixture, (supports Projects 1, 2, 3, 5 and the Synthesis Core)

Aim 2) Perform acute, subacute and subchronic inhalation exposures to laboratory animals to defined mixtures of atmospheric PCBs and to individual congeners, (supports Projects 1, 2, and 3)

Aim 3) Provide a rodent vivarium for experimental animals used for the isbrp and execute a quality assurance program to monitor their health and welfare, (supports Projects 1, 2, and 3)

Aim 4) Perform necropies on exposed, control and sentinel rodents and distribute tissues to project investigators in the isbrp. (supports Projects 1, 2, and 3)

The Inhalation Toxicology Core will be created within the existing Inhalation Toxicology Facility (ITF) of the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center which consists of 6,000 ft2 of contiguous laboratories and offices. The ITF is nationally recognized for innovative animal models and exposure delivery systems. A full array of inhalation toxicology, aerosol science, and bioassay services are rendered. The Inhalation Toxicology Core is well equipped for generating and quantifying PCB vapors or aerosols; for performing nose-only inhalation exposures of rats in acute, subacute or subchronic protocols; and for determining the degree of exposure and response. The development of innovative exposure delivery systems for PCB mixtures representative of atmospheric congeners is an essential concurrent activity.


Core Leader: Peter S. Thorne, PhD
Dr. Thorne is a professor of toxicology in the University of Iowa's Department of Occupational and Environmental Health with a secondary appointment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He has over 23 years experience in toxicology research involving laboratory animals. He is the founder and director of the closely aligned Inhalation Toxicology Facility within the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center. Dr. Thorne served for many years on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. He will have overall responsibility for the Core and will serve as the primary contact with other Project and Core Leaders in the isbrp. Dr. Thorne will supervise Ms. Adamcakova-Dodd and Dr. Hadina. He will provide investigators with guidance on the inhalation exposures and data analysis and will contribute to the drafting of presentations, progress reports and publications.


Research Assistant II: Andrea Adamcakova-Dodd, MS
Ms. Adamcakova-Dodd has extensive experience in the set-up and performance of inhalation toxicology studies having worked for three years in Dr. Thorne's laboratory and for five years in a government toxicology laboratory in Bratislava before joining Dr. Thorne's group. She has experience with managing GLP studies and has performed rodent inhalation studies with a variety of gases and vapors, nanoparticles, metal working fluids, endotoxin, xylitol, and organic dust. She is adept at handling animals and is well-versed in laboratory and information management systems.


Postdoctoral Fellow: Suzana Hadina, DVM, PhD
Dr. Hadina holds a veterinary medical degree as well as a PhD in veterinary sciences. She has over two years of experience working in animal surgery and has extensive experience with evaluation of experimental animals in toxicology studies. Since joining Dr. Thorne's group she has performed inhalation studies and intratracheal dosing of rodents in support of toxicology studies. She also has received training in general lab safety, hazardous materials handling, blood borne pathogens, animal and human subjects, and radiation safety. She will work with Ms. Adamcakova-Dodd on inhalation studies. She will also supervise the health surveillance program in the vivarium, will provide veterinary care to the animals (if needed) and will assist with necropsies.