Efficacy evaluation of physostigmine and anticholinergic adjuncts as a pretreatment for nerve agent intoxication.
Pretreatment of nonhuman primates with physostigmine (Phy) and scopolamine or physostigmine and trihexyphenidyl 25 min before exposure to 2 LD50 soman im resulted in complete survival without convulsions or loss of consciousness. When identically pretreated animals were challenged with 5 LD50s of soman followed by atropine and 2-PAM therapy 1 min later, all animals experienced a loss of consciousness for approximately 10 min followed by functional recovery within an additional 20 min. These findings indicated that a pretreatment regimen composed of Phy and cholinolytic is capable of protecting primates from an absolute lethal dose of soman with rapid recovery from incapacitation.
von Bredow
J
J
Pharmacology Division, Institute of Chemical Defense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010.
Corcoran
K
K
Maitland
G
G
Kaminskis
A
A
Adams
N
N
Wade
J
J
D000818:Animals; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000097:blood; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012999:Soman / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D014282:Trihexyphenidyl / Q000494:pharmacology
D010276:Parasympatholytics; D014282:Trihexyphenidyl; D012999:Soman; D010830:Physostigmine; D012601:Scopolamine; D002802:Cholinesterases