Toxicant Deposition and Transport in Alveolus: A Classical Density Functional Prediction

Chem Res Toxicol. 2018 Dec 17;31(12):1398-1404. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.8b00272. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Abstract

The deposition and transport of toxicants on pulmonary surfactant are important processes in human health and medical care. We have introduced classical density functional theory (CDFT) to provide insight into this process. Nine typical toxicants in PM2.5 were considered, and their free energy and structural information have been examined. The free energy profile indicates that PbO, As2O3, and CdO are the three toxicants most easily deposited in the pulmonary alveolus, which is consistent with survey data. CuO appears to be the easiest toxicant to transport through the surfactant. Structural analysis indicates that the toxicants tend to pass through the surfactant with rotation. The configuration of the pulmonary surfactant was examined by extending our previous work to polymer systems, and it appears that both the configurational entropy and the direct interaction between the surfactant and the toxicant dominate the configuration of the pulmonary surfactant.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arsenic Trioxide / chemistry
  • Arsenic Trioxide / metabolism
  • Arsenic Trioxide / toxicity
  • Cadmium Compounds / chemistry
  • Cadmium Compounds / metabolism
  • Cadmium Compounds / toxicity
  • Humans
  • Lead / chemistry
  • Lead / metabolism
  • Lead / toxicity
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Oxides / chemistry
  • Oxides / metabolism
  • Oxides / toxicity
  • Particulate Matter / chemistry
  • Particulate Matter / metabolism*
  • Particulate Matter / toxicity
  • Pulmonary Alveoli / chemistry
  • Pulmonary Alveoli / metabolism*
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemistry
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Cadmium Compounds
  • Oxides
  • Particulate Matter
  • Surface-Active Agents
  • cadmium oxide
  • Lead
  • lead oxide
  • Arsenic Trioxide