The protection of primates against soman poisoning by pretreatment with pyridostigmine.

The effectiveness of pyridostigmine pretreatment against soman poisoning has been determined in rhesus monkeys and marmosets receiving atropine therapy. Pretreatment with the maximum sign-free dose (200 microgram kg-1, i.v.) raised the subcutaneous LD50 of soman by a factor of 28 in rhesus monkeys and 15 in marmosets. The protection afforded by a quarter of the sign-free dose of pyridostigmine was not significantly less. These levels of protection are higher than any reported in non-primate species.