OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of organophosphorus insecticides (OPs) on the nicotinic autoreceptor function (NAF) in rat cortical synaptosomes and to understand alternative target of the OPs for human and other animals.

METHODSIn vitro experiment, synaptosomes from the rats were incubated with [(3)H] choline and then superfused with physiological buffer. The [(3)H] acetylcholine release from the synaptosomes after the addition of paraoxon or chlorpyrifos to the superfusion system was recorded and the changes of NAF were calculated. In vivo experiment, NAF and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the cortical synaptosomes in the adult rats dosed with chlorpyrifos were also determined 96 h after OPs treatment.

RESULTSParaoxon caused slight effect on NAF (average inhibition rate: < 23%) while chlorpyrifos oxon caused > 100% of inhibition on NAF in vitro. Chlorpyrifos markedly reduced NAF by 66% 96 h after treatment and inhibited the AChE activity by 91% in vivo.

CONCLUSIONThe OPs may have different effects on the NAF of rat cortical synaptosomes while chlorpyrifos may certainly inhibit the NAF in cortical synaptosomes of adult rats.

Acetylcholine ; secretion ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Chlorpyrifos ; toxicity ; In Vitro Techniques ; Insecticides ; toxicity ; Paraoxon ; toxicity ; Rats ; Receptors, Nicotinic ; physiology ; Synaptosomes ; drug effects ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of organophosphorus insecticides (OPs) on G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 mediated phosphorylation of M2 muscarinic receptors in vitro and to understand an alternative target of the OPs for human and other animals.

METHODSThe acetylcholine M2 muscarinic receptors (mAChR2) were purified from rat brain by single step affinity chromatography. In vitro experiments, the purified mAChR2, G-protein coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) and the (gamma-p32) labeled ATP were incubated with paraoxon (PO), chlorpyrifos oxon (CPO) or chlorpyrifos (CPF) of varying concentrations. The proteins were separated by the polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The gels were dried and the phosphorylation of mAChR2 was detected with autoradiograms. Bands containing M2 receptor were excised and counted by liquid scintillation.

RESULTSCPO inhibited phosphorylation of M2 muscarinic receptors by GRK2 with a median inhibition concentration (IC(50)) at 70 micromol/L. CPF also inhibited M2 receptors phosphorylation, but was less potent and less efficacious than that of CPO. PO and parathion (PT) had little effect on the receptor phosphorylation under the same conditions. CPO and CPF didn't inhibit the beta2 Adrenalin (beta2-AR) receptor phosphorylation also mediated by GRK2.

CONCLUSIONCPO and CPF can selectively inhibit the GRK2 mediated mAChR2 phosphorylation while PO and PT have no this effect.

Animals ; Chlorpyrifos ; analogs & derivatives ; toxicity ; Cholinesterase Inhibitors ; toxicity ; G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 ; Paraoxon ; toxicity ; Phosphorylation ; Rats ; Receptor, Muscarinic M2 ; metabolism ; beta-Adrenergic Receptor Kinases ; metabolism ; physiology

OBJECTIVEInhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in human brain caused by phoxim or phoxim oxon, their reactivation with oxime and aging of phosphorylated AChE were studied and compared in vitro.

METHODSMicro-colorispectrophotometric assay was used to determine the activity of AChE.

RESULTSThe pI(50) of inhibition of AChE in human brain by phoxim and phoxim oxon were 5.39 and 5.77, respectively, whereas the pI(90) were 4.60 and 5.00, respectively. The reactivation rate of 0.1 mmol/L of pralidoxime (2-PAM), obidoxime (LüH(6)), trimedoxime (TMB-4) and pyramidoxime (HI-6) for phoxim-inhibited AChE in human brain was 65%, 97%, 91% and 56%, respectively, and their reactivation rate for phoxim oxon-inhibited AChE in human brain was 97%, 87%, 99% and 89%, respectively. The optimal reactivator for phoxim and phoxim oxon-inhibited AChEs was LüH(6) and TMB-4, respectively. The half aging time of phoxim and phoxim oxon inhibited phosphorylated AChEs were 39 and 28 hours, respectively, and the 99% aging time were 256 and 186 hours, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSLüH(6) or TMB-4 should be used at the earlier as possible after poisoning with phoxim and phoxim oxon, and the reactivator should be consecutively used for more than seven days, even after their acute symptoms have been well controlled.

Acetylcholinesterase ; metabolism ; Brain ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Cholinesterase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Cholinesterase Reactivators ; pharmacology ; Enzyme Stability ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Obidoxime Chloride ; pharmacology ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; pharmacology ; Oximes ; pharmacology ; Paraoxon ; pharmacology ; Pralidoxime Compounds ; pharmacology ; Time Factors ; Trimedoxime ; pharmacology