For the average citizen, a runny nose and nausea might simply be signs of the common cold. But for soldiers at war, these symptoms can mean something a bit more sinister.
They can be early signs of exposure to sarin-a chemical weapon estimated to be 500 times as toxic as cyanide. And because of government grants, the health consequences are being researched at Duke.
A new study using animals is being used to determine how the underlying causes of sarin's long-term effects-which include problems with cognition, learning, balance, memory and muscle and joint pain. Findings may ultimately be used to develop drugs that will treat exposure to the toxin.
"The army is interested in developing drugs to counteract seizure induced by sarin," said Mohamed Abou-Donia, professor of pharmacology, cancer biology and neurobiology and senior author of the study.
Researchers studied the effects of sarin exposure for different lengths of time. A single, 15-minute exposure to sarin caused substantial alterations in gene expression in the brains of rats under study.
"For 50 years, we have heard that people exposed to sarin continue to develop problems with cognition and weakness," Abou-Donia said. "What we found was the genes that are responsible for neuronal cell death are actually altered."
Although the production and stockpiling of sarin was outlawed by the United Nations in 1993, U.S. soldiers were exposed to it as recently as 2004, when insurgent fighters in Iraq detonated a shell containing several liters of the toxin, also known as GB.
Only a small amount was released in the attack, but two U.S. soldiers were treated for symptoms of exposure. Some Gulf War veterans have also experienced complications potentially caused by low-level exposure.
But foreign armies are not the only ones breaking the rules-the United States may have its own history of illicit sarin use.
According to the Associated Press, bioterrorism agents including sarin were tested on humans and in open areas in the 1960s and 1970s. The goal was to determine sarin's general effects in the environment and the manner in which sarin gas is dispersed by weapons.
In 2002, the Pentagon faced criticism when it released reports disclosing secret tests involving 27 other chemical agents.
Regardless of past history, hopes are high that Abou-Donia's research-which has, in the past, been funded by the Department of the Defense-may guide the development of tests for sarin exposure.
"After the test results come back, you can put together an accurate treatment protocol," said T.V. Damodaran, a research scientist in the Division of Medical Genetics and collaborator on the study.
Jasten McGowan and Christina Patsiokas contributed to this story.
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