Distribution of ³H-soman in mice

Abstract

³H-soman (specific activity 10 Ci/mMol), a potent irreversible cholinesterase inhibitor, was administered IV to mice in a dose of one LD-50, which corresponds to 0.25 mCi/mouse. Animals were sacrificed at 5 min, 2 h and 24 h, and whole body autoradiography was performed. High levels of radioactivity in lung and skin were observed at all time intervals after injection. The central nervous system showed very low concentrations of radioactivity, which remained so for 24 h post-injection. Considerable accumulation of ³H-soman in the urine and gallbladder, and in the intestinal lumen, may indicate these as pathways of soman excretion. Quantitative determinations of radioactivity in various tissue samples were consistent with the above-mentioned findings.

It is concluded that the nature of the persistent binding of soman to lung and skin is striking, and may indicate the existence of specific sites for soman depots.