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Model for Oral Ingestion of Ricin Toxin Collaborating Institution: Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA Principal Investigator: Seth Pincus, M.D. Expected Product: Animal model for ingestion of ricin toxin. Description: Ricin toxin represents one of the most likely agents of bioterrorism because of its easy availability. Oral ingestion is the most probable route of exposure of civilian populations. Early recognition of such intoxication is critical for identifying that an event has occurred and for instituting specific therapies. Yet there is virtually no knowledge regarding the clinical syndrome resulting from ingestion of the toxin, and it is unclear whether emergency room personal would be able to distinguish oral ricin intoxication from more common forms of gastroenteritis that occurs in clusters (e.g., due to staphylococcal toxins). Virtually all human experience is with the ingestion of the plant material, castor beans, which must first be digested before the toxin is released in the intestine. Animal studies have used ricin toxin as an aerosol, fed as an oil emulsion, or administered by gavage; none have involved the direct feeding of the toxin in an aqueous form or adsorbed to food. It is the goal of the proposed studies to study the clinical syndrome in mice resulting from ingestion of ricin toxin. To accomplish this goal, we propose the following specific aims: 1. To feed ricin to mice and observe the clinical, pathological, and clinical laboratory findings associated with oral ricin toxicosis. 2. To develop a sensitive ricin antigen-capture assay and utilize it to study ricin levels in saliva, gastrointestinal washings, stool, plasma, and tissue. These studies will allow the development of a set of clinical and laboratory criteria that will allow for the early recognition of ricin intoxications. The model may also be used for testing the utility of post-exposure treatments.
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