Fused human paraoxonase 1 as a prophylactic agent against organophosphate poisoning

Organophosphates (OPs) are highly neurotoxic compounds and certain OP-compounds are also exploited as a weapon of mass destruction and chemical warfare in terrorist attacks. Available prophylactic and post-exposure treatments are less effective and also have serious side-effects. Thus, there is a dire need to develop effective and safe prophylactic agent(s) against OP-poisoning. Human Paraoxonase 1 (hPON1) can hydrolyze a wide range of OP molecules and can be developed as an effective and safe prophylactic agent. Thus, there is a dire need in the art to develop variant(s) of rhPON1 that not only possess 'good' OP-hydrolyzing activity but also have improved pharmacokinetic properties. In this report, we describe the characterization of the fused hPON1 (FHP) variant that not only exhibit enhanced in vivo pharmacokinetic properties but also delay / prevent the symptoms of OP-poisoning and prevents OP-induced mortality in rats.

Acute organophosphate and carbamate pesticide poisonings - a five-year survey from the National Poison Control Center Of Serbia

Pesticide poisonings, intentional as well as accidental, are common, especially in undeveloped and developing countries. The goal of this study was to analyze the clinical presentation of patients hospitalized due to acute organophosphate (OPP) or carbamate pesticide (CP) poisoning as well as to analyze the factors that potentially influenced the severity and outcome of the poisonings. A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed. The age and gender of each patient were recorded, the type of ingested pesticide, whether the poisoning was intentional or accidental, number of days of hospitalization, the severity of the poisoning, and the outcome of the treatment (i.e., whether the patient survived or not). Clinical aspects of poisonings were analyzed, as well as the therapeutic measures performed. 60 patients were hospitalized due to acute OPP or CP poisoning, out of 51 (85.00%) were cases of intentional self-poisoning. The majority of patients were poisoned by OPPs (76.67%), in one-third the causative agent was malathion, followed in frequency by chlorpyrifos and diazinon. Dimethoate poisonings were manifested with the most severe clinical picture. A 70% or lower activity of reference values of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase was found in 50% and 58% of patients, respectively. The most common symptom was miosis (58.33%), followed by nausea and vomiting. Pralidoxime reactivated acetylcholinesterase inhibited by chlorpyrifos or diazinon, but not with malathion or dimethoate. Impairment of consciousness and respiratory failure, as well as the degree of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition, were prognostic signs of the severity of poisoning. The lethal outcome was more often found in older patients (t = 2.41, p = 0.019). The type of ingested pesticide significantly affects the severity and outcome of poisoning as well as the effectiveness of antidotes.

Toxicological Evaluation and In Silico Identification of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors in a Commercial Polyherbal Formulation (KWAPF01)

This study investigated the toxicological implications of a commercial polyherbal formulation, KWAPF01. Twenty-four Wistar rats were randomized into six groups of four animals per group. The animals in Group 1 were administered placebo and designated as control, while the rats in Groups 2 to 6 were administered 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 mg/kg bodyweight single oral dose of KWAPF01, respectively, and subsequently monitored for gross morphological and behavioural changes for 72 h. Piloerection, reduced motility, and tremor were observed in experimental groups, and the median lethal dose (LD50) of the extract was 2225.94 mg/kg bodyweight. The 11 compounds identified through HPLC analysis of the extract were docked against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and the docking scores ranged from −5.3 to −10.8 kcal/mol, with catechol (−5.3 kcal/mol) and berberine (−10.8 kcal/mol) having the highest and lowest binding energies, respectively. Judging by the results, it could be inferred that some of the constituents of KWAPF01 have a direct impact on the nervous system and this is possibly elicited via the cholinergic system as it contains a nicotinic acetylcholine receptors agonist and potential inhibitors of AChE. Therefore, the use of KWAPF01 needs to be cautiously guided.

Preparing a rat brain tissue samples for acetylcholinesterase activity measurement: The MM method

Background/Aim: Organophosphorus compounds (OP) bind to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) causing an irreversible inhibition of the enzyme. When doing in vivo studies of OP intoxication, to precisely measure AChE activity in the brain tissue it is necessary to remove as much blood from the brain as possible. By doing so, interference of the OPs present in the blood is avoided. Usually this demands expensive equipment, therefore, the aim of this study was to find a simple and economical method to eliminate the blood from brain blood vessels. Methods: Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups named Control (C), Control washout (CW), Paraoxon (Pox) and Paraoxon washout (PoxW) group. Rats in Pox and PoxW were treated with 0.25 mg/kg paraoxon subcutaneously (sc), while C and CW received 1 mL/kg sc saline instead. The "Marinković-Maksimović" ("MM") method was performed in rats from PoxW and CW groups. Activity of AChE was measured both in erythrocyte lysate and in brain tissue using spectrophotometry. Results: Macroscopic examination revealed that the elimination of blood was achieved in CW and PoxW groups. Activity of AChE in homogenised brain tissue was expectedly lower in the Pox and PoxW group, when compared to C and CW group, respectively. The CW group had a lower value of AChE activity in the brain tissue compared to C group, while activity of AChE in the PoxW group was statistically higher than in the Pox group (p = 0.044). Conclusion: The MM method provides good elimination of blood from the brain. Together with blood, present confounding factors that interfere with analysis in homogenised brain tissue, were also eliminated.