Acetylcholinesterase Inhibiting Activity of Organophosphate Nerve Agents inPrimary Cultures of Mouse Embryo Neurons

摘要

Primary cultures of mouse embryo cortical neurons were examined with respect totheir usefulness as indicators of the relative anticholinesterase activities of tabun, soman and VX. The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity of mouse cortical neuron cultures was low for the first eight to ten days in vitro (DIV), and then gradually increased until 21 DIV. This closely paralleled AChE development in mouse neonates. Mouse neurons were extremely sensitive to the effects of organophosphate nerve agents at all times during the culture period and treatment of these cultures resulted in a reproducible dose-dependent inhibition of AChE activity which did not vary significantly with time in culture. The median inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of tabun, soman and VX are reported. (TR)