Eila Kaliste-Korhonen

Success of pyridostigmine, physostigmine, eptastigmine and phosphotriesterase treatments in acute sarin intoxication

The acute toxicity of organophosphorus (OP) compounds in mammals is due to their irreversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the nervous system, which leads to increased synaptic acetylcholine levels. The protective actions of intravenously (i.v.) administered pyridostigmine, physostigmine, eptastigmine, and an organophosphate hydrolase, phosphotriesterase, in acute sarin intoxication were studied in mice. The acute intragastric (i.g.) toxicity (LD50) of sarin with and without the pretreatments was tested by the up-and-down method. The mice received pyridostigmine (0.06 mg/kg body weight), physostigmine (0.09 mg/kg body weight), the physostigmine derivative eptastigmine (0.90 mg/kg body weight) or phosphotriesterase (104 U/g, 10.7 microg/g body weight) 10 min prior to the i.g. administration of sarin. Physostigmine was also administered with phosphotriesterase. Phosphotriesterase was the most effective antidote in sarin intoxication. The LD50 value for sarin increased 3.4-fold in mice receiving phosphotriesterase. Physostigmine was the most effective carbamate in sarin exposure. The protective ratios of physostigmine and pyridostigmine were 1.5- and 1.2-1.3-fold, respectively. Eptastigmine did not give any protection against sarin toxicity. Both the phosphotriesterase and physostigmine treatments protected the brain AChE activities measured 24 h after sarin exposure. In phosphotriesterase and physostigmine-treated mice, a 4- and 2-fold higher sarin dose, respectively, was needed to cause a 50% inhibition of brain AChE activity. Moreover, the combination of phosphotriesterase-physostigmine increased the LD50 value for sarin 4.3-fold. The animals pretreated with phosphotriesterase-ephysostigmine tolerated four times the lethal dose in control animals, furthermore their survival time was 2-3 h in comparison to 20 min in controls. In conclusion, phosphotriesterase and physostigmine were the most effective treatments against sarin intoxication. However, eptastigmine did not provide any protection against sarin toxicity.

Phosphotriesterase - a promising candidate for use in detoxification of organophosphates

The effect of phosphotriesterase (PTE) on cholinesterase (ChE) activities was studied with exposures to different organophosphates in mice. Paraoxon (PO) (1.0 mg/kg, ip) almost totally inhibited serum ChE activity. This activity, however, recovered to the normal level within 24 hr. The PTE pretreatment (16.8 U/animal, 2.5 micrograms/10 g body wt, iv 10 min before the organophosphate) accelerated this reactivation. The same phenomenon was also seen in vitro. In vitro with human serum, there was only minimal reactivation of the inhibited ChE. PTE, however, reactivated it significantly. The PTE-pretreated mice (168 U/animal, 30 micrograms/10 g body wt, iv) tolerated even 50 mg/kg of PO without showing any remarkable signs of intoxication. In PTE-untreated animals, however, PO doses as low as 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg caused severe signs of poisoning. PTE (16.8 U/animal, 4 micrograms/10 g body wt, iv) reduced the inhibition of brain and serum ChE activities after PO and diisopropyl fluorophosphate exposure. In sarin and soman intoxications, PTE decreased only slightly the inhibition of ChE activities. The results indicate that PTE pretreatment given iv prevents the inhibition of ChE activities after certain organophosphates and it also hastens the recovery of activities after PO poisoning.

Vitamin E regulates changes in tissue antioxidants induced by fish oil and acute exercise.

PURPOSE Prooxidant effects of fish oil supplementation could unfavorably affect the cardiovascular benefits of fish oil. We tested the effects of 8 wk vitamin E cosupplementation with fish oil on antioxidant defenses at rest and in response to exhaustive exercise in rats. METHODS Rats (N = 80) were divided into fish oil, fish oil and vitamin E (FOVE), soy oil, and soy oil and vitamin E (SOVE) supplemented groups. For the vitamin E supplemented rats, corresponding groups (FOVE-Ex and SOVE-Ex) performed an acute bout of exhaustive exercise after the supplementation period. RESULTS Fish oil supplementation increased the activity of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione-S-transferase in the liver and red gastrocnemius (RG) muscle. Fish oil decreased liver total glutathione (TGSH) levels. Vitamin E supplementation decreased antioxidant enzyme activities to levels at or near those in SOVE in a tissue specific pattern. Vitamin E increased TGSH in liver, heart, and RG. Regression analysis showed TGSH to be a negative determinant of protein oxidative damage as measured by protein carbonyl levels in both liver and RG. Catalase activity was associated with liver lipid peroxidation as measured by thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances. The exercise-induced decrease in hepatic TGSH tended to be less in FOVE versus SOVE. Exhaustive exercise also modulated tissue antioxidant enzymes. CONCLUSIONS Vitamin E supplementation markedly decreased fish oil induced antioxidant enzyme activities in all tissues. Sparing of glutathione may be an important mechanism by which vitamin E decreased tissue protein oxidative damage.

Effect of Phenobarbital and β-Naphthoflavone on Activities of Different Rat Esterases After Paraoxon Exposure

1. The effects of two model inducers of the cytochrome P450 system, phenobarbital (PB) and beta-naphthoflavone (NF), on the toxicity of paraoxon were studied in rats. 2. Paraoxon toxicity was measured by inhibition of brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. 3. PB treatment did not affect the toxicity of paraoxon, whereas NF increased the inhibition of brain AChE. PB administration slightly increased the activities of some peripheral cholinesterases and carboxylesterases, as well as liver microsomal paraoxonase (Pxase). 4. NF administration, in contrast, decreased the activities of peripheral esterases. Serum Pxase activity was reduced by both inducers. 5. Hepatic CYP2B and CYP1A were markedly induced by PB and NF, respectively. 6. Cytochrome P450 isoenzymes induced by PB or NF seemed not to be critical in the detoxification of paraoxon in vivo. NF caused a general reduction of peripheral esterases, which led to an increase in paraoxon toxicity. 7. The results indicated the great importance of peripheral cholinesterases and carboxylesterases as a detoxifying mechanism of paraoxon. The role of serum paraoxonase was not critical.

Inhibition of cholinesterases by DFP and induction of organophosphate-detoxicating enzymes in rats

1. The inhibition of cholinesterase and carboxylesterase activities in the diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) intoxication, and the inducibility of organophosphate (OP) detoxicating enzymes was studied in rats. 2. In phenobarbital (PB)-, but not in beta-naphthoflavone (NF)-pretreated rats, the activities of DFP-inhibited cholinesterases were 70-120% higher than in non-pretreated rats. Also the inhibition of the microsomal and cytosolic carboxylesterase activity in liver was efficiently antagonized by BP, but not by NF. 3. In vitro the microsomes from PB-treated rats detoxicated DFP probably by O-dealkylation, since no fluoride was released from DFP. Glutathione S-transferase did not detoxicate DFP. 4. 7-Pentoxyresorufin O-dealkylase, a specific enzyme of cytochrome P450IIB subfamily, was induced by PB, flumecinol, isosafrole and NF by 167- 61-, 26- and 1.6-fold, respectively. 7-Ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase, a marker enzyme of cytochrome P450IA subfamily, was induced by those agents 5-, 4-, 31- and 94-fold, given in the same order. Glutathione S-transferase, paraoxonase and DFPase activities were increased 0-72% by the tested inducers. 5. The results suggest that the cytochrome P450IIB subfamily, inducible by PB, participates in DFP detoxication by O-dealkylation. Its induction probably causes the protection against the cholinesterase inhibition by OPs.

Physical exercise affects cholinesterases and organophosphate response

1. Cholinesterase activities in blood and tissues of control and exercising rats with and without organophosphate (OP) exposure were studied. 2. Physical exercise increased total cholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities in rats without OP exposure in blood and diaphragm. In brain physical exercise had no effect on acetylcholinesterase activity. 3. Physical exercise diminished cholinesterase inhibition in blood and tissues after OP exposure.

Gender differences in activities of mouse esterase and sensitivities to DFP and sarin toxicity

1. Gender differences in the toxicity of diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP; 4.0 mg/kg) and isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (sarin; 0.3 mg/kg) were studied in mice. 2. The animals were killed 3 hr after intraperitoneal (IP) injection of the organophosphates (OPs). 3. Although the activity of plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) was two-fold higher and carboxylesterase (CaE) 1.3-fold higher in females than in males, the elevated BChE and CaE activities did not prevent inhibition of the enzyme by OPs in brain. 4. The differences in plasma BChE and CaE activities do not seem to be critical for the detoxification of OPs used in this study.

Cold exposure decreases the effectiveness of atropine-oxime treatment in organophosphate intoxication in rats and mice.

1. The effect of cold environment on the acute toxicity of organophosphates (OP), without and with atropine-oxime treatment, was studied in rats and mice by exposing them to +5 and -5 degrees C temperature. The tested OPs and oximes (given intraperitoneally) were diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (sarin) and dichlorovinyl phosphate (DDVP), pralidoxime (PAM) and obidoxime. 2. An exposure to low environmental temperature decreased the effectiveness of atropine-oxime therapy in OP poisoned rats and mice, evaluated by means of acute LD50 values. 3. The lowering of environmental temperature did not influence the ability of PAM to reactivate tissue cholinesterase in rats intoxicated by 0.5 x LD50 doses of DFP. 4. The acute toxicity of atropine and oximes was not affected by cold environment in rats, but in mice it was increased by 1.1-2.1 times. 5. The decrease in the effectiveness of atropine-oxime therapy at cold environment may be explained by the observation that the cold temperature sensitizes the animals to the inhibition of brain acetylcholinesterase by OP.

P450 enzyme CYP2B catalyzes the detoxification of diisopropyl fluorophosphate.

Phenobarbital and some other enzyme-inducers are known to reduce organophosphate toxicity. One suggested mechanism is the induction of liver cytochrome P450 enzymes catalyzing monooxygenation reactions. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the cytochrome P450 subfamily, or P450 isoenzyme(s), participating in the detoxification of diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) in the rat. DFP resulted in a type I spectrum in liver microsomes from phenobarbital- or RP 52028-treated rats (binding constants 0.32 and 0.17 microM, respectively) and in a purified P450 preparation enriched with CYP2B. The spectrum was reversible by metyrapone, an inhibitor of the CYP2B enzyme subfamily. The 7-pentoxyresorufin O-dealkylase activity was inhibited by DFP in liver microsomes from phenobarbital- or RP 52028-treated rats and in a reconstituted system containing the purified CYP2B preparation. In microsomes from phenobarbital-pretreated rats, the inhibition was of a mixed type, i.e., competitive-non-competitive (Km = 0.5 microM; Ki = 6 microM). The microsomal fractions of livers from phenobarbital- or RP 52028-treated rats detoxified DFP effectively in vitro, as measured by a decrease in the DFP inhibition of cholinesterase activity. This detoxification was antagonized by metyrapone and by an antibody raised against purified CYP2B preparation. Clotrimazole, an inhibitor of P450 enzymes, inhibited the detoxification of DFP in rat liver in vivo. A genetically-modified hamster cell line expressing CYP2B1 oxidized NADPH in the presence of DFP. No such oxidation was detected in the parent cell line. These studies suggest that CYP2B1 metabolizes DFP and may significantly contribute to the detoxification of this organophosphate in vivo.