• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2001

Antidotal efficacy of combinational prophylactics composed of physostigmine plus procyclidine, alone or in combination with antidotes such as atropine plus 2-pralidoxime or atropine plus HI-6, was evaluated in rats. Physostigmine (0.1 mg/kg) plus procyclidine (3 mg/kg), pretreated subcutaneously 30 min prior to subcutaneous exposure to organophosphates of militarily importance, exerted protection ratios of 7.2, 6.5, 4.0, 2.9 and 8.0 fold for tabun, saris, soman, cyclosarin and V-agent, respectively. In comparison, low effects (1.7 fold for soman and 1.3 fold for cyclosarin) were achieved with the traditional antidotes atropine (17.4 mg/kg) plus 2-pralidoxime (30 mg/kg) administered intramuscularly immediately after organophosphate, in contrast to high effects (5.5 fold for soman and 160.0 fold for cyclosarin) with atropine (17.4 mg/kg) plus HI-6 (125 mg/kg), although the protection ratio markedly decreased when treatment of antidotes was delayed. Note- worthy, the combinational prophylactics markedly potentiated the effects of antidotes to higher than 5.0 fold in all cases. In addition, the combinational prophylactics fully prevented the seizures and excitotoxic brain injuries induced by a high dose (100 mg/kg, 1.3 LD$_{50}$) of soman. Taken together, it is suggested that the prophylactics composed of physostigmine and procyclidine, in combination with posttreatment antidotes, could be a promising regimen for the prevention of lethality, seizures and brain injuries induced by organophosphates possessing diverse properties.s.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.195-200
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• 2000

Antidotal efficacy of physostigmine plus procyclidine, the combinational prophylactics for organophosphate poisoning, was evaluated in rats and guinea pigs. To assess the dose-response relation-ship in rats, various doses (0.3-6.0mg/kg) of procyclidine in combination with a fixed dose (0.1mg/kg) of physostigmine were pretreated subcutaneously 30 min prior to subcutaneous exposure to nerve-agents. Physostigmine alone exerted protection ratios of 2.44, 1.20, 1.50, 1.50 and 2.20 folds for tabun, sarin, soman, cyclosarin and V-agent, respectively. Interestingly, coadmnistration of procyclidine with physostigmine exhibited remarkable synergistic effects in a dose-dependent manner, leading to 4.00~8.00 folds for tabun, 2.15-8.50 folds for sarin, 1.92~507 folds for so man, 2.15~2.90 folds for cyclosarin, and 2.71~10.50 folds for V-agent. On the contrary, a low effect (l.65 fold) was achieved with the traditional antidotes atropine (17.4 mg/kg) plus 2-pralidoxime (30 mg/kg) treated immediately after soman poisoning. Noteworthy, the combinational prophylactics markedly potentiated the effect of atropine plus 2-pralidoxime to 6.13 and 12.27 folds with 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg of procyclidine, respectively, against soman poisoning. In guinea pigs, the physostigmine plus procyclidine prophylactics exerted protective effects of 3.00~4.70 folds against soman intoxcation, which were much higher at low doses (0.3~1.0 mg/kg) of procyclidine than those in rats. Taken together, it is proposed that the combinational prophylactics composed oj physostigmine and procyclidine could be a promising antidote regimen for the poisoning with organophosphates possessing diverse properties.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.187-193
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• 2000

The antidotal, anticonvulsant and neuroprotective effects of physostigmine and procyclidine. the combinational prophylactics for organophosphate poisoning, were evaluated in rats. In comparison with a low protective effect (1.6 fold) of atropine (15 mg/kg) and 2-pralidoxime (30 mg/kg), the traditional antidotes regimen, a marked protection ratio of 7.3 fold was achieved by combinational pretreatment with physostigmine (0.05 mg/kg) and procyclidine (10 mg/kg), which was superior to that (3.5 fold) with pyri-dostigmine (0.1 mg/kg) and atropine (15 mg/kg). Rats exposed to a high dose (10 mg/kg. 2 X $LD_{50}$) of diisopropylfluorophosphate showed severe epileptiform seizures on electroencephalography, resulting in necrotic and apoptotic brain injuries in discrete brain regions under histopathological and TUNEL immuno-histochemical examinations in 24 hr. Such seizures and excitotoxic brain injuries were fully prevented by pretreatment with physostigmine (0.05 mg/kg) and procyclidine (10 mg/kg). in contrast to a negligible effect of pyridostigmine (0.1 mg/kg) and atropine (15 mg/kg). Taken together, it is proposed that the prophylactics composed of physostigmine and procyclidine could be a promising regimen for the prevention of lethality, seizures and brain injuries induced by organophosphate poisoning.