Organophosphorus nerve agents such as sarin (GB) and VX irreversibly inhibit acetylcholinesterase, causing a buildup of acetylcholine (ACh) in synapses and neuromuscular junctions, which leads to excess bronchial secretions, convulsions, seizures, coma, and death. Understanding the unique toxic characteristics of different nerve agents is vital in the effort to develop broad spectrum medical co...

This study was conducted to investigate the biodegradation potential of neutralized organophosphorus nerve agents: O-ethyl-S-(2-diisopropyl-aminoethyl) methylphosphonothioate (VX), Sarin (GB), Soman (GD), and O-cyclohexyl methylphosphonofluoridate (GF). Removing labile leaving groups from these compounds can be accomplished chemically (e.g. alkali) or enzymatically (by a variety of hydrolases) ...

The effect of NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonists on tolerance to morphine antinociception was investigated in mice. Daily subcutaneous administration of 50 mg/kg of morphine hydrochloride for three days induced tolerance to different (3,6 and 9 mg/kg) test doses of morphine. The tolerance obtained was decreased by pretreatment of animals with single or repeated doses of compe...

Changes in acetylcholinesterase activity in blood and some organs of rats after intoxication with sarin, soman, VX, and 2-dimethylaminoethyl-(dimethylamido)-phosphonofluoridate (GV), in doses of roughly 2 x LD50 given intramuscularly, were obtained from published data and by experiment. The time course of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase in blood, regions of brain, and diaphragm and the occur...

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the acute toxicity of the nerve agents S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl]-O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate (VX), O-pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate (soman), and O-isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (sarin) in guinea pigs is age- and sex-dependent and cannot be fully accounted for by the irreversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The ...

This study compared the ability of nine oximes (HI-6, HLö7, MMB-4, TMB-4, carboxime, ICD585, ICD692, ICD3805, and 2-PAM) to reactivate in vivo cholinesterase (ChE) in blood, brain, and peripheral tissues in guinea pigs intoxicated by one of four organophosphorus nerve agents. Two bis-pyridinium compounds without an oxime group, SAD128 and ICD4157, served as non-oxime controls. Animals were inje...

Recent events have emphasized the threat from chemical and biological warfare agents. Within the efforts to counter this threat, the biocatalytic destruction and sensing of chemical and biological weapons has become an important area of focus. The specificity and high catalytic rates of biological catalysts make them appropriate for decommissioning nerve agent stockpiles, counteracting nerve ag...

The two major threat classes of chemical weapons are mustard gas and the nerve agents, and this has not changed in over 50 years. Both types are commonly called gases, but they are actually liquids that are not remarkably volatile. These agents were designed specifically to harm people by any route of exposure and to be effective at low doses. Mustard gas was used in World War I, and the nerve ...

To investigate the effects of antihypertensive treatment with four currently used agents (trichlormethiazide, atenolol, nicardipine, and enalapril) on the arterial baroreceptor function at the early phase of hypertension, we administered the agents to spontaneously hypertensive rats and Wistar-Kyoto rats from 8 to 10 weeks of age and examined the aortic nerve activity function. In untreated spo...

Interposition nerve grafting offers a scaffold for orderly nerve regeneration and may elaborate neurotrophic agents that foster the restorative process [10]. Traditionally, autologous sural nerve has been the graft of choice and has been employed primarily during open radical prostatectomy [10]. However, sural nerve harvest is often associated with donor site morbidity and may be time inefficie...