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PAPERS: Noreen Maconochie, Pat Doyle, and Claire Carson Infertility among male UK veterans of the 1990-1 Gulf war: reproductive cohort study BMJ 2004; 329: 196-201 [Abstract] [Full text]

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Gulf War Infertility

James I. Moss   (18 July 2004)

Gulf War Infertility 18 July 2004
James I. Moss, Research Scientist Gainesville, FL USA 32605 Send response to journal: Re: Gulf War Infertility	I was pleased to note that the authors mentioned the damage to the reproductive system of rats caused by pyridostigmine bromide, DEET and permethrin, reported by Abou-Donia and colleagues (1). Since I disclosed the synergistic interactions of these chemicals at a U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing in 1994, I have tried to get the idea across that these substances (in combination) might cause responses that are more potent and qualitatively different than might be expected from the individual substances. I have often observed spokespeople of the U.S. and U.K. governments claim that the “causes” of Gulf War illnesses must be diverse as the illnesses found among the veterans, yet Abou-Donia’s research (1) clearly demonstrates multiple targets for the substances. Another constant criticism of research that has demonstrated potentiation of toxicity between pyridostigmine bromide, DEET and permethrin has been that the doses were unrealistically high. Those critics have been silent, or incorrect, with respect more recent work which has carefully approximated doses encountered by Gulf War troops. 1. Abou-Donia MB, Suliman HB, Khan WA, Abdel-Rahman AA. Testicular germ-cell apoptosis in stressed rats following combined exposure to pyridostigmine bromide, N-diethyl m-toluamide (DEET) and permethrin. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2003;66:57-73. James I. Moss Gainesville Florida USA http://members.cox.net/jimmoss/index.htm Competing interests: None declared