Health effects of embedded depleted uranium.

The health effects of embedded fragments of depleted uranium (DU) are being investigated to determine whether current surgical fragment-removal policies are appropriate for this metal. The authors studied rodents implanted with DU pellets as well as cultured human cells exposed to DU compounds. Results indicate that uranium from implanted DU fragments distributes to tissues distant from implantation sites, including bone, kidney, muscle, and liver. Despite levels of uranium in kidney that would be nephrotoxic after acute exposure, no histological or functional kidney toxicity was observed with embedded DU, indicating that the kidney adapts when exposed chronically. Nonetheless, further studies of the long-term health impact are needed. DU is mutagenic and transforms human osteoblastic cells into a tumorigenic phenotype. It alters neurophysiological parameters in rat hippocampus, crosses the placental barrier, and enters fetal tissue. Preliminary data also indicate decreased rodent litter size when animals are bred 6 months or longer after DU implantation.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Spectroelectrochemistry of Cobalt Porphyrins Containing Axially Bound Nitric Oxide.

Several cobalt nitrosyl porphyrins of the form (T(p/m-X)PP)Co(NO) (p/m-X = p-OCH(3) (1), p-CH(3) (2), m-CH(3) (3), p-H (4), m-OCH(3) (5), p-OCF(3) (6), p-CF(3) (7), p-CN (8)) have been synthesized in 30-85% yields by reaction of the precursor cobalt porphyrin with nitric oxide. Compounds 1-7 were also prepared by reaction of the precursor cobalt porphyrin with nitrosonium tetrafluoroborate followed by reduction with cobaltocene. Compounds 1-8 have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR and (1)H NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and UV-vis spectrophotometry. They are diamagnetic and display nu(NO) bands in CH(2)Cl(2) between 1681 and 1695 cm(-)(1). The molecular structure of 1, determined by a single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis, reveals a Co-N-O angle of 119.6(4) degrees. Crystals of 1 are monoclinic, P2/c, with a = 15.052(1) Å, b = 9.390(1) Å, c = 16.274(2) Å, beta = 111.04(1) degrees, V = 2146.8(4) Å(3), Z = 2, T = 228(2) K, D(calcd) = 1.271 g cm(-)(3), and final R1 = 0.0599 (wR2 = 0.1567, GOF = 1.054) for 3330 "observed" reflections with I >/= 2sigma(I). Cyclic voltammetry studies in CH(2)Cl(2) reveal that compounds 1-7 undergo two reversible oxidations and two reversible reductions at low temperature. This is not the case for compound 8, which undergoes two reversible reductions but an irreversible oxidation due to adsorption of the oxidized product onto the electrode surface. Combined electrochemistry-infrared studies demonstrate that each of the compounds 1-7 undergoes a first oxidation at the porphyrin pi ring system and a first reduction at either the metal center or the nitrosyl axial ligand. The formulation for the singly oxidized products of compounds 1-7 as porphyrin pi-cation radicals was confirmed by the presence of bands in the 1289-1294 cm(-)(1) region (for compounds 1-5), which are diagnostic IR bands for generation of tetraarylporphyrin pi-cation radicals.