[Effect of pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate on the metabolic activity of cultured neuroblastoma cells].

The effects of the highly neurotoxic organophosphate pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate (soman) on several cellular processes of a homogeneous neuronal cell system, Neuroblastoma cells (NS 20), has been investigated. The protein biosynthesis was measured by [14C] L-Leucine uptake and incorporation into total protein. The glycolytic energy metabolism was measured by [14C] deoxy-D- Glucose [( 14C] DG) uptake and retention. The old method [14C] D-Glucose uptake was also performed. Exposure of cells in stationary growth phase for 24 h to 10(-6) M-soman, produced a statistically significant (P less than 0.001) decrease of the [14C] L-Leucine uptake and diminution of the incorporation of the amino acid into total protein. No changes were observed at lower concentrations. When energy metabolism was measured by uptake and retention of [14C] DG, the data indicate that both uptake and utilization of D-Glucose were unaffected by 10(-6) M-soman treatment. The results suggest that soman depress the rate of protein synthesis which may be responsible for neuronal degeneration. But no changes were observed on energy metabolism.