Estimation of oxime efficacy in nerve agent poisoning: a kinetic approach

Standard treatment of poisoning by organophosphorus compounds (OP) includes the administration of an anti-muscarinic, e.g. atropine, and of an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) reactivator (oxime). Two oximes, obidoxime and pralidoxime (2-PAM), are presently commercially available, yet, these compounds are considered to be of insufficient efficacy against certain nerve agents, e.g. soman and cyclosarin. In the past decades, numerous new oximes were synthesized and tested for their antidotal efficacy. The available data indicate that two Hagedorn oximes, HI 6 and HLö 7, are promising antidotes against various nerve agents. The efficacy of antidotes against nerve agent poisoning cannot be investigated in humans for ethical reasons. Therefore, it is necessary to use surrogate parameters for the evaluation of oxime efficacy. Reactivation of inhibited AChE is considered to be the main mechanism of action of oximes. Clinical data indicate that changes in erythrocyte AChE activity correlate to neuromuscular function indicating that interactions between AChE, inhibitor and oximes can be investigated in vitro with human erythrocyte AChE. Different theoretical models were used for the evaluation of reactivating efficacy of oximes with nerve agent-inhibited human AChE and for estimating effective oxime concentrations. The calculations demonstrate the marked differences between oximes in dependence of the inhibitor and provide a basis for the estimation of the required oxime dose as well as of dosing intervals.