Abstract
The available antidotal therapy against acute poisoning by organophosphates involves the use of atropine alone or in combination with one of the oximes, e.g. 2-PAM, Obidoxime, TMB-4 or HI-6. Each of these oximes has some limitation, raising the question of the universal antidotal efficacy against poisoning by all OPs/nerve agents. In the present study, newly synthesized bis quaternary 2-(hydroxyimino)-N-(pyridin-3yl) acetamide derivatives (HNK-series) oximes were evaluated for their antidotal efficacy against DDVP intoxicated Swiss mice, in terms of the Protection Index (PI) and AChE reactivation in brain and serum. The inhibition concentration (IC(50)) was determined in brain and serum after optimizing the time point for maximum inhibition (60 min post DDVP exposure). AChE reactivation efficacy of the HNK series was evaluated at IC(50) and compared with 2-PAM. HNK-102 showed a ~2 times better Protection Index (PI) as compared to 2-PAM against DDVP toxicity. IC(50) at 60 min DDVP post exposure was found to be approximately one fifth and one half of the LD(50) dose for brain and serum AChE, respectively. Out of three HNK oximes, HNK-102 & 106 at 0.20 LD(50) dose significantly reactivated DDVP intoxicated brain AChE (p<0.05) as compared to 2-PAM at double IC(50) dose of DDVP. In light of double PI and higher AChE reactivation, HNK 102 was found to be a better oxime than 2-PAM in the treatment of acute poisoning by DDVP.