Abstract
The protective effect of ferrocene carbamate pretreatment against soman poisoning was studied in guinea pigs. At doses corresponding to 1/20 x and 1/10 × LD50 of this carbamate a 20% and 45% decrease of the acetylcholinesterase in blood and brain, respectively, was obtained. In combination with additional pretreatment, diazepam, and therapy, HI-6 and atropine, the protective ratios (LD50 of soman in treated animals/LD50 of soman in untreated animals) were around 20 and 40, respectively. Animals pretreated with the high dose of the ferrocene carbamate that survived 10 x and 15xLD50s of soman showed no remaining signs of poisoning after 24 h. Thus, the ferrocene carbamate afforded a better protection against soman than physostigmine. The explanation for this could be due to the properties of the ferrocene carbamate, not correlated to its cholinesterase inhibiting activity. This hypothesis is discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Augustinsson K-B, Eriksson H, Faijersson Y (1978) A new approach to determining cholinesterase activities in samples of whole blood. Clin Chim Acta 89: 239–252
Berry WK, Davies DR (1970) The use of carbamates and atropine in the protection of animals against poisoning by 1,2,2-trimethylpropyl methylphosphonofluoridate. Biochem Pharmacol 19: 927–934
Gall D (1981) The use of therapeutic mixtures in the treatment of cholinesterase inhibition. Fundam Appl Toxicol 1: 214–216
Gordon JJ, Leadbeater L, Maidment MP (1978) The protection of animals against organophosphate poisoning by pretreatment with a carbamate. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 43: 207–216
Green AL (1983) A theoretical kinetic analysis of the protective action exerted by eserine and other carbamate anticholinesterases against poisoning by organophosphorus compounds. Biochem Pharmacol 32: 1717–1722
Harris LW, McDonough Jr JH, Stitcher DL (1984) Protection against both lethal and behavioural effects of soman. Drug Chem Toxicol 7: 605–624
Hetnarski B, Lajhta A, Wisniewski HM (1980) On some derivatives of ferrocene, novel acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. J Neurosci Res 5: 1–5
Husain R, Vijayaraghavan R, Marjit DN (1990) The effect of pyridostigmine and physostigmine on acute toxicity of diisopropyl fluorophosphate in rats. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol 41: 19–24
Inns RH, Leadbeater L (1983) The efficacy of bispyridinium derivatives in the treatment of organophosphonate poisoning in the guinea-pig. J Pharm Pharmcol 35: 427–433
Karlsson N, Larsson R, Puu G (1984) Ferrocene-carbamate as prophylaxis against soman poisoning. Fundam Appl Toxicol 4: S184-S189
Koster R (1946) Synergism and antagonism between physostigmine and di-isopropyl fluorophosphate in cats. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 88: 39–46
Larsson R (1988) Andningsregistrering — en metod för övervakning av smådjur vid toxictetstester (Registration of respiration — of method for the surveillance of small animals in toxicity studies). Scand-LAS, Nordic Symposium on Laboratory Animal Science, Stockholm, Sweden
Leadbeater L, Inns RH, Rylands JM (1985) Treatment of poisoning by soman. Fundam Appl Toxicol 5: S225-S231
Lennox WJ, Harris LW, Talbot BG, Anderson DR (1985) Relationship between reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibition and efficacy against soman lethality. Life Sci 37: 793–798
Weil CS (1950) Tables for convenient calculation of median-effective dose (LD50 or ED50) and instruction in their use. Biometrics 8: 249–263
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Karlsson, N., Larsson, R. & Puu, G. Protection of guinea pigs against soman poisoning with ferrocene carbamate. Arch Toxicol 66, 629–632 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01981501
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01981501