title: Effects of pyridostigmine and cholinolytics on cholinesterase and acetylcholine in Soman poisoned rats.
abstract: Soman reduced blood and brain cholinesterase (ChE) activity to less than 15% and increased cerebral acetylcholine (ACh) levels to 137.4% of control. When pyridostigmine (P) was used as a prophylactic adjunct, it reduced blood ChE activity to 31.6% of control, failed to significantly alter brain ChE activity, and protected more than 70% of the blood (but not brain enzyme) from phosphonylation by soman. Benactyzine (B) was more effective than atropine (A) in reducing cerebral ACh concentrations, while a combination of the two was more effective than either alone. A prophylaxis of P + A + B was effective in controlling ACh levels in rats poisoned with one LD50 dose of Soman. Since P did not diminish the effects of the cholinolytics on cerebral ACh, this (together with the enzyme data) suggests that the two cholinolytics alone provided the central protection.
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001535:Benactyzine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D062025:Organophosphate Poisoning; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D012999:Soman / Q000506:poisoning*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010276:Parasympatholytics; D001535:Benactyzine; D001285:Atropine; D012999:Soman; D002802:Cholinesterases; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide; D000109:Acetylcholine