Phosphotriesterase, pralidoxime-2-chloride (2-PAM) and eptastigmine treatments and their combinations in DFP intoxication.

The protective action of i.v. administered eptastigmine, an organophosphate hydrolase (phosphotriesterase), or pralidoxime-2-chloride (2-PAM) and their combination in acute diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) intoxication were evaluated in mice. The mice received the physostigmine derivative, eptastigmine (0.9 mg/kg body wt, i.v.), 10 min prior to the i.p. injection of DFP (1.8 mg/kg body wt). Phosphotriesterase (66 micromol/min x ml/g and 6 microg/g body wt) or 2-PAM (30 mg/kg body wt) were given i.v. 30 min after DFP. The animals also received atropine sc (37.5 mg/kg body wt) immediately after DFP. The cholinesterase (ChE) activities were not protected or reactivated by 2-PAM alone. The ChE activities in brain and plasma were protected by phosphotriesterase. Eptastigmine alone assisted the recovery of the brain ChE activities. Also the combination of eptastigmine-phosphotriesterase protected the brain enzymes. It did not, however, provide any additional protection compared with phosphotriesterase-treatment on its own. In brain, the combination of eptastigmine with 2-PAM resulted in partly restored enzyme activities 24 hr after DFP exposure. In plasma, eptastigmine did not prevent the inhibition of ChE by DFP. However, when it was combined with phosphotriesterase, it significantly promoted the recovery of plasma ChE activity. In lung and in erythrocytes, the various combinations of antidotes caused only minor changes in the ChE activities.