A mathematical model for evaluating the reaction of paraoxon with human serum cholinesterase and with polymorphic forms of paraoxonase.

The inhibition of cholinesterase of human serum by paraoxon can be predicted by a mathematical model which considers two competing reactions for paraoxon: one, the direct interaction with cholinesterase, and the other, enzymatic hydrolysis by paraoxonase. On the basis of the residual cholinesterase activity at various times during the incubation with paraoxon, it is possible to determine the rate constants for the reaction of paraoxon with cholinesterase (k1), and the reaction with paraoxonase (k2), the latter being directly proportional to paraoxonase activity. The percentage of initial activity remaining as residual cholinesterase depends primarily upon the paraoxonase level; it is influenced only slightly by variations in initial cholinesterase levels within the normal range. From these results, we conclude that the residual cholinesterase activity test is, in fact, an indirect measure of serum paraoxonase activity; it has the same limitations and is no more reliable a means of differentiating individual paraoxonase genotypes than measuring the level of serum paraoxonase activity directly. Our model suggests that there are conditions where paraoxonase genotype may alter the clearance of paraoxon and in turn the reaction of paraoxon with target sites. Whether similar results would be obtained in vivo is unknown. Since this model predicts the degradation of paraoxon well in vitro, it may be possible to extend the model and predict the effect of paraoxonase genotype on the clearance of paraoxon in vivo.