Effects of paraldehyde on the convulsions induced by administration of soman in rats.
The ability of paraldehyde, a potent central nervous system depressant, to prevent the convulsions induced by the organophosphate soman, an irreversible inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, was studied in rats. Paraldehyde (0.1-500 mg/kg, im) administered 10 min before soman (100 micrograms/kg, sc) did not protect against seizures. Co-administered with atropine sulfate (10 mg/kg, im), paraldehyde produced a clear dose-dependent anticonvulsant response. Although this pre-treatment could delay the occurrence of death, it did not produce any change in the soman-induced 24 h mortality rate. Thus, co-administration of paraldehyde and atropine sulfate might constitute a valuable tool to be used against the convulsant consequences of soman poisoning. However, supplementary pre-medication, in addition to paraldehyde and atropine sulfate, remains necessary to improve the antilethal capacity of the pre-treatment.
Carpentier
P
P
Centre de Recherches du Service de Santé des Armées, Unité de Neurotoxicologie, La Tronche, France.
Lallement
G
G
Bodjarian
N
N
Tarricone
A
A
Blanchet
G
G
D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D010242:Paraldehyde / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012999:Soman / Q000506:poisoning*
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D001285:Atropine; D012999:Soman; D010242:Paraldehyde