Comparison of 2-PAM and pro-2-PAM containing treatment regimens as antagonists of nerve agent-induced lethality and incapacitation. Final report, June 1981-December 1985

In vivo, (2-Puridine Aldoxine Methioidide) reactivates phosphonylated acetylcholinesterase AChE peripherally, but is effective in restoring AChE centrally because the quaternary nitrogen atom of 2-PAM prevents penetration of the brain. The problem was solved by the synthesis of the 1,6-dihyropyridine derivative of 2-PAM, pro-2-PAM (PP). Functional brain AChE is related to return to control performance on an accelerating rotarod (ARR) in animals intoxicated with soman. There should be a difference in the time to recovery of control ARR performance between PP- and 2-PAM-treated, sarin-intoxicated animals. In the present work, an ARR decrement free dosage (DFD) of each of these oximes (30 mg/kg, im) in combination with DFD of atropine (A) and mecamylamine (M) (0.79 mg/kg each, im) was used as pretreatment against sarin-induced deficit. The same antidotes were given pre-and post- intoxication (as pretreatment and therapy) to anatagonize sarin-induced lethality; the PP containing antidote provided significantly greater protection than that by the 2-PAM antidote which in turn provided significant protection over control. Neither antidote when given as pretreatment and therapy provided protection above control against soman-induced physical incapacitation, but they were equally effective in antagonizing VX-induced physical incapacitation. The reversal of sarin-induced physical debilitation reflects the central actions of PP andmore » supports the notion that functional brain AChE activity is essential for rapid recovery from the debilitating effeclts on nerve agents.« less