Zoran A. Milovanovic

Gastroprotective effects of amifostine in rats treated by T-2 toxin

Abstract Cytoprotector amifostine (AMI) was given in a dose of 50, 100 or 150 mg/kg ip in rats treated with several highly toxic doses of T-2 toxin. The best survival rate (24 h and 7 days after treatment) was obtained with AMI50 (50 mg/kg ip). After T-2 intoxication, a peak in the mean number of gastric lesions (petechiae and ulcerations) was reached on the third day (26.40 ± 6.24). Administration of AMI50 reduced, almost completely, the total number of gastric lesions in rats acutely poisoned by 0.5 LD50 T-2 (1.5 mg/kg sc), starting with day 1 after intoxication (5.60 ± 3.42).

Four-Week-Long Tabun Low-Level Exposure in Rats

Prolonged administration of sublethal doses of organophosphorus cholinesterase inhibitors results in adaptation to their toxicity. In order to investigate this phenomenon, we exposed rats to 0.2, 0.3 or 0.4 LD50 of tabun sc daily during four weeks. AChE activities in erythrocytes, diaphragm and brain were inhibited dose-dependently after days 7 and 14 of the study and started to recover thereafter, except after 0.4 LD50. Tabun 0.3 LD50 decreased body weight gain, food and water consumption during the first two weeks of the study. Spontaneous locomotor activity was significantly increased in the same interval and decreased thereafter. These findings support the assumption that both the biochemical and receptor mechanisms are responsible for the occurrence of tolerance to tabun in rats.