Assessment of mouse strain differences in baseline esterase activities and toxic response to sarin.

Genetics likely play a role in various responses to nerve agent (NA) exposure, as genetic background plays an important role in behavioral, neurological, and physiological responses. This study uses different mouse strains to identify if mouse strain differences in sarin exposure exist. In Experiment 1, basal levels of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and carboxylesterase (CE) were measured in different strains of naïve mice to account for potential pharmacokinetic determinants of individual differences. In Experiment 2, median lethal dose (MLD) levels were estimated in 8 inbred mouse strains following subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of sarin. Few strain or sex differences in esterase activity levels were observed, with the exception of erythrocyte AChE activity in the C57BL/6J strain. Both sex and strain differences in toxicity were observed, with the most resistant strains being the BALB/cByJ and FVB/NJ strains and the most sensitive strain being the DBA/2J strain. These findings can be expanded to explore pathways involved in NA response, which may provide an avenue to develop therapeutics for preventing and treating the damaging effects of NA exposure.

Efficacy assessment of a combined anticholinergic and oxime treatment against topical sarin-induced miosis and visual impairment in rats.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Eye exposure to the organophosphorus (OP) irreversible cholinesterase inhibitor sarin results in long-term miosis and impaired visual function. We have previously shown that tropicamide is better at ameliorating this insult than topical atropine or cyclopentolate. However, to minimize side effects associated with repeated tropicamide applications and high treatment doses, we evaluated the effects of oximes (ChE re-activators) alone and combined with tropicamide at ameliorating OP-induced ocular impairments. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Rats were topically exposed to sarin, followed by topical treatment with various oximes alone or in combination with tropicamide. Pupil width and light reflex were measured by an infrared-based digital photograph system, while visual performance was assessed by employing the cueing version of the Morris water maze (MWM). KEY RESULTS: Oxime treatment following sarin ocular exposure induced a slow persistent pupil widening with efficacy in the order of HLö-7 > HI-6 > obidoxime = TMB-4 = MMB-4. In the light reflex test, the ability of the iris to contract following oxime treatment was mostly impaired at 1 h and was back to normal at 4 h following sarin exposure. All oxime treatments ameliorated the sarin-induced visual impairment as tested in the visual task (MWM). The combined topical treatment of tropicamide with an oxime induced a rapid improvement in pupil widening, light reflex and visual performance, and enabled a reduction in tropicamide dose. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The use of tropicamide combined with an oxime should be considered as the topical treatment of choice against the toxic effects of ocular OP exposure.

Efficacy assessment of various anticholinergic agents against topical sarin-induced miosis and visual impairment in rats.

Eye exposure to the organophosphorus (OP) irreversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor sarin results in long-term miosis and reduction in visual function. Anticholinergic drugs, such as atropine or homatropine, which are used topically in order to counter these effects may produce mydriasis and partial cycloplegia, which may worsen visual performance. This study was aimed to test the efficacy of short-acting anticholinergic drugs against sarin-induced miosis and visual impairment, which will minimally insult vision. Long-Evans rats, exposed topically to various sarin doses from 0 to 10 µg, showed a dose-dependent miosis, which returned to pre-exposure levels within 24-48 h. Tropicamide treatment rapidly widened the miotic effect to a different extent depending on time following treatment and dosage given. Cyclopentolate, however, showed a delayed response that finally widened the pupils in a dose-dependent manner. Atropine treatment showed a rapid widening of the pinpoint pupils exceeding baseline level finally causing mydriasis. Light reflex test showed that the contraction ability of the iris following atropine treatment was impaired, as opposed to the use of tropicamide which facilitated the iris contraction, similar to control. Finally, tropicamide and atropine treatments ameliorated the visual impairment, as opposed to cyclopentolate, which worsened visual performance. Considering that tropicamide treatment against sarin exposure did not cause mydriasis nor did it impair the iris contraction flexibility as a response to light, the use of this drug should be taken into consideration as a first-choice topical treatment against OP intoxication.

Consequence assessment of indoor dispersion of sarin--a hypothetical scenario.

The objective of this study is to provide a hypothetical scenario of indoor dispersion of the highly toxic nerve agent sarin in a large building, which can be used as a starting point for discussion, planning, training and exercises for emergency services and responsible authorities. The indoor dispersion has been simulated using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach. Possible consequences have been calculated based on concentration and dose profiles. Mild intoxication effects appear within minutes, while serious injuries and fatalities occur approximately 20 min after release. Anticipated key emergency response challenges are: (i) the time factor due to rapid onset of symptoms, (ii) the large number of casualties, and (iii) the contaminated hazard scene.

Assessment of a combination of physostigmine and scopolamine as pretreatment against the behavioural effects of organophosphates in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).

RATIONALE: There is a requirement to ensure that UK armed forces are provided with the best possible medical countermeasures to prevent or mitigate the effects of exposure to nerve agents. When pretreatments are under consideration, it is of particular importance to ensure that they do not in themselves give rise to adverse effects and do not exacerbate the effects of agent exposure. OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to address these considerations for a combination of physostigmine and scopolamine as a potential pretreatment regimen. METHODS: Common marmosets were trained to perform a two-choice discrimination serial reversal task, and baseline data were collected. Subjects received a dose of either soman or sarin after 2 weeks of pretreatment with either saline or physostigmine and scopolamine via miniosmotic pump. RESULTS: No effects of physostigmine and scopolamine were seen on task accuracy or response rates. Neither accuracy of reversal performance nor number of responses made were significantly changed by administration of either soman or sarin subsequent to pretreatment with physostigmine/scopolamine. In the groups pretreated with saline, performance of the behavioural task, in terms of responses made, was virtually abolished on the day the OP was administered, but a significant increase in accuracy of performance was seen over the 2- to 14-day period following administration. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of physostigmine and scopolamine, which is known to protect against nerve-agent lethality, offers protection against the effects of soman and sarin on behavioural performance, as measured by a discrimination reversal task. The improved performance observed following nerve agent requires further investigation.

A symptomatological assessment of organophosphate-induced lethality in mice: comparison of atropine and clonidine protection.

A comprehensive symptomatological observational battery in conjunction with acute toxicity testing, evaluated with the method of a hyperbolic curve relating survival time (T) to dose (D), was used to characterize quantitatively the lethal toxicities of the organophosphorus (OP) compound, sarin, in mice. The experimental data observed with sarin (0.4-4.0 mg/kg s.c.), alone or in combination with atropine (ATR) (20 mg/kg i.p.), were plotted as a graph of D/T against D, a linearizing transformation of the hyperbolic function. This linearized plot gave two straight lines, deflecting at 1.2 mg/kg, in terms of latency to whole body tremor (BT) and loss of the righting reflex (LR). At lower lethal doses of sarin (0.4-1.2 mg/kg) with ATR pretreatment, the D/T vs. D curves of BT and LR were shifted in parallel to the left, while at high lethal doses (1.6-4.0 mg/kg) these curves interpolatedly converged. The sequelae and/or severity of symptoms were also comparatively different between the range of lower and high lethal doses as noted above. It has been claimed that the protective actions of ATR and clonidine (CLD) against the lethal effects of cholinesterase inhibitors are associated with different underlying mechanisms, i.e. presynaptic versus post-synaptic cholinergic inhibition. The protective effects of a single dose of ATR (20 mg/kg) and CLD (1.0 mg/kg), after 38 and 15 min of intraperitoneal pretreatment, respectively, alone or in combination, challenged with 2 x, 4x and 8x LD50's of sarin were also comparatively evaluated. ATR resulted in a nonsignificant increase in latency to onset of BT and LR. CLD significantly delayed the onset of these symptoms against all 3 dose levels of sarin intoxication, whereas ATR plus CLD additively increased the latency to the onset of these symptoms. The present results indicate that at lower dosages of sarin (less than or equal to 4 x LD50's) its mode of action appears to be mediated mainly by a/muscarinic mechanism, whereas at high doses it is mediated by some other non-specific actions superimposed on the cholinergic actions of sarin. The present study also lends support to the hypothesis of the existence of different forms of OP intoxication on the strength of lethal exposure. The possible mechanisms of both sarin lethality and ATR- and CLD-mediated protection are briefly discussed.

An assessment of comparative acute toxicity of diisopropyl-fluorophosphate, tabun, sarin, and soman in relation to cholinergic and GABAergic enzyme activities in rats.

The sc LD50s (mumol/kg) in rats for diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), Tabun, Sarin, and Soman were 14.5, 1.9, 1.4, and 0.88, respectively. The relative potency was as follows: DFP less than Tabun less than Sarin less than Soman (1:7.6:10.4:16.4). The relative potencies correlated with the in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition (in terms of the IC50) by these compounds, in whole brain homogenates or the purified bovine erythrocyte AChE. There was a dose versus time for mortality relationship for all four compounds; the average time for death decreased with increase in dose. However, there was no correlation between time for death and the extent of AChE inhibition. The striatal as well as other regional (medulla, diencephalon, cortex, and cerebellum) AChE activity was inhibited over 90% of the control, by the lethal doses of these compounds. None of the lethal or sublethal doses had any apparent effect on choline acetyltransferase (CAT) or GABA-transaminase activities. Glutamic acid decarboxylase activity was increased by Soman, Sarin, and Tabun at certain lethal doses but was not affected by DFP even at the lethal dose. The results indicate that (a) the acute toxicity of organophosphate acetylcholinesterase inhibitors is directly related to the inhibition of AChE though there is a wide difference in their potency; (b) a substantial inhibition of AChE activity (over 90% of control) is necessary for lethality to ensue after an acute exposure and the margins between lethal and nonlethal doses are extremely small; and (c) qualitative differences seem to exist among the various organophosphates in affecting noncholinergic neurotransmitter enzymes.