Dissociation of locomotor depression and ChE activity after DFP, soman and sarin

The effect of direct intrastriatal injection of three organophosphate cholinesterase inhibitors, DFP (diisopropylphosphorofluoridate), soman (pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate) and sarin (isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate) has been studied on locomotor activity in the rat. The degree of ChE inhibition has been monitored in the striatum, as well as in surrounding brain areas and blood, in order to verify the selectivity of the treatment and rule out effects attributable to actions in these areas and/or the periphery. It has been determined that while enzyme activity is inhibited in the striatum by all three compounds, only DFP significantly reduces locomotor activity at doses that produce no other observable behavioral deficits, or significant leakage into the periphery. Behavioral recovery occurs before enzyme activity returns to control levels. Possible contributions of DFP's action on other neurotransmitters and on ChE in other brain areas to the inhibition of locomotor activity are discussed.