Inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase in Different Structures of the Rat Brain Following Soman Intoxication Pretreated with Huperzine A

Abstract

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities in different brain parts were determinedquantitatively in rats treated with huperzine A, soman, and huperzine A followed bysoman, using histochemical and biochemical methods. Following soman intoxication (1.2x LD50, i.m.), AChE activity was decreased to 30-80% of control values depending on thebrain structure. The most sensitive area was the frontal cortex and the most relativelyresistant was ncl. ruber. Huperzine A treatment only caused a change in AChE activityvarying from 70 to 100 % of control values. In rats pretreated with huperzine A andintoxicated with soman, AChE activity was significantly higher than that observed aftersoman. In these animals, survival of rats pretreated with huperzine was observed whilethe mortality of unpretreated animals was near to 80 %. The results suggest that huperzineA is good candidate for further study for clinical use as a prophylactic drug against nerveagent poisoning.