John A. Pickrell: 1941-2017

Associate Professor, Environmental Toxicology

DVM 1965, U. of Illinois-Urbana
PhD 1968, U. of Illinois-Urbana
Diplomate 1983, American Board of Toxicology

Service

I perform clinical diagnostic tests and phone consultations to aid practicing veterinarians in the field in diagnosing their cases. I also provide consultation for faculty residents and students. My special interest is toxic particles, gases in livestock confinement facilities and the pulmonary diseases that result from them.

Teaching

I teach Clinical Toxicology to the 3rd year professional students relating to plants, water, air, bacterial and mycotic toxins and feed related toxicities and to the 4th year professional rotation relating toxicology to case-based situations. My graduate classes cover environmental and specific mechanism-based toxicology. I have trained numerous summer research associates, graduate students interns and residents and post-doctoral associates.

Research

My research interests involve toxicology from pulmonary exposure and its role in chronic lung disease. Initially, I investigated the effect of inhaled toxicants – radionuclide particulates, ozone and diesel exhaust particles. My current interests focus on the ability of endotoxin or endotoxin-coated particles from swine confinement facilities to cause lung disease with an immunology basis and develop into chronic lung disease. In addition, we have specific interests in case-based medicine – paper case studies with known outcomes, videobased case studies, CD-ROM based case studies and CD-ROM based case studies with stereoscopic projection. Specifically, our interests focus on how each technology helps students relate medical toxicology to their professional practices.

Selected Publications

Pickrell JA. 1981. Lung connective tissue – location metabolism and response to injury (JA Pickrell ed.) 203 p, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Pickrell JA. 1991. Hazards in confinement housing – gases and dusts in confined animal houses for swine, poultry, horses and humans. Vet Hum Toxicol 33: 32-38.

Pickrell JA, Heber AJ, Murphy JP et al. 1993. Characterization of particles, ammonia and endotoxin in swine confinement buildings. Vet Hum Toxicol 35: 421-428.

Abdel-Mageed AB, Welti R, Oehme FW, Pickrell JA. 1994. The perinatal effects of induced hypocuprosis on the bioshythesis and composition of neonatal pulmonary collagen, elastin and surfactant. Amer J Physiol 267: L679-L685.

Pickrell JA, Heber AJ, Murphy JP et al. 1995. Total respirable dust in swine confinement buildings. The benefit of respiratory protective masks and effect of recirculated air. Vet Hum Toxicol 37: 430-435.

Brown AR and Pickrell JA. 1995. Propellant driven aerosols of proteins as vaccines or therapeutic agents in the respiratory tract. J Aerosol Med 8: 43-48.

Pickrell JA and Mageed AA.1995. VI-4 Radiation in pulmonary fibrosis. In Lung Biology in Health and Disease. Phan S, Thrall R, eds; Lenfant CE series ed, Marcel Dekker, Inc NY pp 363-381.

Pickrell JA, Boyer J, Oehme FW, Clegg V, Sells N. 1999. Group learning may improve future case analysis in toxicologic veterinary medicine. Submitted to Journal of Veterinary Medical Education.

Pickrell JA, Oehme FW. 2000. Toxicologic education in the United States. In International Masters in Toxicology; Evolution, current situation and challenges for toxicology at the beginning of the millenium, Manuel Repetto, ed., Seville, Spain.

Asmar S, Pickrell JA, Oehme FW. 2000. Pulmonary diseases caused by airborne contaminants in swine confinement buildings (to be submitted to Veterinary and Human Toxicology).

Asmar S, Pickrell JA, Mannala SA, Nietfeld JC, Loughin TM, Oehme FW . 2000. Acute pulmonary inflammation after exposure of mice to lipopolysaccharide (to be submitted).