Detection of sarin in plasma of rats after inhalation intoxication

Abstract

Presently used methods for detection and diagnosis of the severity of intoxication with organophosphorus (OP) compounds are mostly those that quantify inhibition of blood cholinesterases. It was found that when plasma inhibited with OP compounds is incubated in the presence of a high concentration of fluoride ions, the organophosphate is released from the enzyme thus yielding a phosphofluoridate, which can be analyzed by gas chromatography and NP detection. In our study, the concentration of sarin released after fluoride ions were added to the plasma of sarin-poisoned rats was determined. Sarin amounts in plasma measured after refluoridation and plasma butyrylcholinesterase activity in ten rats, that were exposed to sarin vapors at concentration of 1.25 μg/L (E1 group) and 2.5 μg/L (E2 group) respectively, for 60 min. In the E2 group the concentration of sarin in plasma was nearly 2-fold higher than in the E1 group. These results correspond well with the concentrations of sarin vapors to which the animals were exposed. Both experimental groups of animals showed significant decreases in butyrylcholinesterase activity by more than 30%–36.4% (E1 group) and 47.0% (E2 group). The method of fluoride-induced reactivation provides a very good marker for monitoring sarin intoxication in laboratory animals determined previously mostly by ChE determination which does not allow any information on sarin amounts in plasma.

Keywords::

• Organophosphorus compounds
• acetylcholinesterase
• inhibition
• sarin
• plasmalevels
• rats

Acknowledgements

The support of the contract “Biochemical effect of low level exposure to soman vapor” No. A00D448 is gratefully acknowledged. The authors express their appreciation to E. Vodakova, M. Zechovska and I. Jezkova for their skilled technical assistance.