Organophosphate-induced delayed neurotoxicity of triarylphosphates.

This paper reviews the characteristics of organophosphate-induced delayed neurotoxicity, its mechanism, lesions, species sensitivities and structure activity-relationships as they relate to the class of compounds known as triaryl phosphates. The triaryl phosphates have been widely used in commerce for over thirty years as flame retardants in fluids and plastics. Concern has been raised regarding their potential to cause organophosphate-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN), due to structural similarities to the potent neurotoxicant, tri-ortho cresyl phosphate (TOCP). Based on research on many pure isomers, Johnson (1975a, 1975b) found that certain structural features are required for a triaryl phosphate to react with the enzyme, neuropathy target enzyme (NTE), in a manner which induces OPIDN. Results of acute hen OPIDN studies, the experimental model of choice, support his findings as regards the structure-activity relationships for commercial triaryl phosphates. Thus, standard acute hen OPIDN studies on triphenyl phosphate and butylated triaryl phosphates fail to demonstrate a potential to elicit OPIDN by these products after a single dose. Studies on the mixed isopropyl phenyl phosphates indicate that, while some are neurotoxic, they are much less potent than tricresyl phosphate (TCP) and TOCP in the induction of OPIDN. Most commercial isopropylated triaryl phosphates lacked the potential to induce acute OPIDN using a limit dose of 2000 mg/kg. Although in early studies these compounds appeared to be neurotoxic, they were generally tested at excessively high doses, often exceeding 10,000 mg/kg in acute hen OPIDN studies. In contrast to the isopropylated and butylated triaryl phosphate products, TCP, and especially its ortho substituted isomer, TOCP, were found to be neurotoxic in both acute and subchronic hen OPIDN studies. Recent advances in the synthesis of commercial TCP products have resulted in products with reduced neurotoxic potential (McCormick et al, 1993). As an example, when 3% TCP in aviation oil was dosed acutely at 5000 mg/kg, or for 90 days at 1000 mg/kg/day, no delayed neurotoxicity was noted (Daughtrey et al., 1990, 1996). These data are indicative of the safety of these aviation lubricants at use levels currently employed.     

Atropine and DFP-induced delayed neurotoxicity

Atropine is often given as an antidote for acute cholinergic effects in studies of a delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) caused by some organophosphorus esters. These experiments examined if atropine would also affect the onset and/or severity of signs of OPIDN. Chickens were given one to six 200 micrograms/kg doses of diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP) with or without 20 mg/kg atropine (IM). Locomotion, brain neurotoxic esterase (NTE) activity, and histology of the nervous system were examined. The results demonstrated that atropine treatments delayed onset of the signs of OPIDN and may have slightly increased brain NTE activity in vivo. Relatively high levels (Ki: approximately 3.0 mM) of atropine inhibited NTE activity in vitro.     

Histopathological assessment of triphenyl phosphite neurotoxicity in the hen

The signs of neurotoxicity observed in the cat and the rat following single or multiple doses of the phosphorous acid ester triphenyl phosphite (TPP) have been reported to differ from the syndrome known as organophosphorous compound induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) caused by some phosphoric acid esters. Since the hen is the test animal traditionally used to test compounds for OPIDN, we chose to study the neurotoxicity of single, subcutaneous doses of TPP using the hen. TPP (1000 mg/kg) produced progressive ataxia and paralysis which developed 5-10 days after dosing. The clinical signs were accompanied by axonal damage in the lateral columns of the spinal cord and peripheral nerve. Similar signs were observed following neurotoxic doses of the OPIDN-causing agents tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) or diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP). In addition, TPP caused damage to axons in the brain and gray matter of the spinal cord, and chromatolysis and neuronal necrosis were frequently observed in the spinal cord. These latter areas were not affected by TOCP or DFP. The minimum neurotoxic dose of TPP was found to be 500 mg/kg. Prior administration of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) reduced the incidence of damage to the peripheral nerve of animals dosed with TPP, but did not prevent toxic effects on the cell bodies in the spinal cord or the clinical effects. The results of this study indicate that TPP causes neuronal damage in addition to the axonal damage observed with OPIDN. Therefore, we conclude that two distinct mechanisms underlie the neurotoxicity of TPP.     

Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride alters sensitivity to organophosphorus-induced delayed neurotoxicity in developing animals.

The serine/cysteine hydrolase inhibitor phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) markedly intensifies the clinical expression of organophosphorus-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN) in adult chickens when administered after organophosphate exposure. In this study, we have examined the ability of PMSF post-treatment to affect sensitivity to OPIDN in developing animals at ages normally showing resistance. Chickens (35, 49 or 70 days of age) were treated with diisopropylphosphorofluoridate (DFP, 2 mg/kg, sc) and then treated four hours later with PMSF (90 mg/kg, sc) or vehicle only and examined for clinical signs of ataxia and incoordination. Chickens treated with DFP alone showed a marked age-related increase in the severity of motor deficits. Birds treated with DFP followed by PMSF showed more extensive clinical deficits relative to those treated with DFP only, but relatively similar degrees of motor dysfunction among the age groups. Cervical spinal cord samples processed by the Fink-Heimer degeneration method indicated that PMSF post-treatment induced more extensive axonal degeneration in all age groups relative to treatment with DFP only. As the DFP treatment alone caused greater than or equal to 90% inhibition of neurotoxic esterase activity (NTE, the putative molecular target site for OPIDN), interaction with NTE by PMSF does not appear to be involved in potentiation. We hypothesize that PMSF potentiates OPIDN through impairment of a physiological process which normally imparts resistance to young animals and which regresses during development.     

Degeneration patterns in the chicken central nervous system induced by ingestion of the organophosphorus delayed neurotoxin tri-ortho-tolyl phosphate. A silver impregnation study

Exposure to certain organophosphorus compounds results in a neurological condition known as organophosphorus-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN). OPIDN is characterized clinically by an initial post-exposure delay period of 8-14 days after which signs of progressively developing ataxia and paralysis of the hindlimbs are observed. Although several studies have reported the presence of degeneration induced by organophosphorus delayed neurotoxins in specific central nervous system (CNS) structures, none have systematically examined CNS changes seen in the most frequently studied animal model for OPIDN--the domestic fowl. In the present study, we assessed the location and extent of anterograde degeneration in the chicken CNS following exposure to tri-o-tolyl phosphate (TOTP). All birds were dosed with 500 mg TOTP/kg body weight and killed after post-exposure periods of 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks. The brains and spinal cords were processed with Fink-Heimer and Nissl stains. In the spinal cord, axon degeneration was noted in the fasciculus gracilis at cervical levels two weeks after exposure to TOTP. At 3 weeks, degeneration was also present in the cervical part of the dorsal spinocerebellar tract, in the lumbar part of the medial pontine-spinal tract, and in lamina VII in the lumbar ventral horn. In the medulla, moderate amounts of terminal and preterminal degeneration appeared at two weeks in the lateral vestibular, gracile, external cuneate, and lateral cervical nuclei. Lesser amounts of degeneration were noted in the solitary, inferior olivary, and raphae nuclei, in the medial, descending and lateral vestibular nuclei, and in the lateral paragigantocellular, gigantocellular, and lateral reticular nuclei. Fiber degeneration was also present in the medullary portions of the dorsal and ventral spinocerebellar tracts and spinal lemniscus. In the cerebellum, moderate amounts of terminal degeneration appeared in the deep cerebellar nuclei at one week while moderate mossy fiber degeneration was first noted in the granular layers of cerebellar folia I-V at 3 weeks. These results indicate (1) that, in the CNS, axonal and terminal degeneration resulting from TOTP intoxication appears to be confined to the spinal cord, medulla and cerebellum, (2) that the time of onset of degeneration in different fiber tracts and nuclei ranges from one to three weeks post-exposure, and (3) that the delay in the appearance of clinical signs of OPIDN is consistent with the delayed onset of degeneration in many of the affected CNS fiber systems.     

Effect of acute tri-o-tolyl phosphate exposure on 2', 3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase activity in hen neural tissues

The activity of 2', 3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNP, EC 3.1.4.37), a myelin-associated enzyme, was monitored in brain, spinal cord, and sciatic nerve homogenates from tri-o-tolyl phosphate (TOTP) and tri-m-tolyl phosphate (TMTP) treated hens. Atropinized adult White Leghorn hens were orally dosed with TOTP (200 mg/kg) or with TMTP (200 mg/kg). The treated birds were monitored daily for development of delayed neurotoxicity, and CNP activity was measured via spectrophotometry at the time of maximal locomotor impairment (27-35 days post dosing). The TOTP-treated birds manifested locomotor deficit by 15 days postdosing and exhibited T2-T4 ataxia at maximal locomotor impairment. The hens administered TMTP exhibited no signs of delayed neurotoxicity. CNP activity of sciatic nerve preparations from TOTP-dosed hens was significantly inhibited (p less than 0.05) at the time of maximal locomotor impairment. There was also a significant correlation between decreased CNP activity and the degree of ataxia at the time of maximal locomotor impairment. This decrease in sciatic nerve CNP activity was most likely associated with nerve fiber degeneration. The level of CNP activity in spinal cord and brain homogenates from TOTP-dosed birds was not markedly altered. TMTP-treated birds exhibited no change in neural tissue CNP activity. The results suggest that the criterion of decreased CNP activity may serve as a useful biochemical adjunct to established clinical, biochemical, and morphological methods in the assessment of chemically-induced neuropathies.     

Assessment of neurotoxicity induced by oral administration of chlordecone (Kepone) in the mouse

Neurotoxicity in the mouse was produced following oral administration of chlordecone at 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg/day in corn oil vehicle. Hyperexcitability and tremors were observed on the 1st, 4th and 9th day after the administration of chlordecone at 50, 25 and 10 mg/kg/day, respectively, and mortality occurred on the 5th, 7th and 13th day after daily administration of the respective doses. In all cases, the cumulative LD 50 for chlordecone was estimated between 180 and 200 mg/kg. Daily oral administration of chlordecone caused loss of body weight, and the loss of body weight was greatest at the onset of tremor. The effect of chlordecone on food and water consumption varied depending on the dose. A recovery in body weight, and food and water consumption were observed upon the termination of chlordecone treatment. In terms of neurotoxic responses, the effect of chlordecone on motor coordination in the mouse was dose-dependent, both during treatment and during recovery after terminating treatment. The threshold for pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures was significantly reduced in chlordecone treated animals. This study may provide essential basic information for studying the biochemical mechanisms of chlordecone-induced neurotoxicity in the mouse.     

Toxicological screening for organophosphorus-induced delayed neurotoxicity: complications in toxicity testing

The acute biocidal effects of organophosphorus pesticides are a central feature of modern agricultural chemistry, and also define the concerns of regulatory toxicology. Less well known, but more complex and idiosyncratic, is the potential for some agents to produce a delayed and progressive polyneuropathy--Organophosphorus Induced Delayed Neurotox-icity (OPIDN). On three occasions during the past ten years, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) had been asked to evaluate human delayed neurotoxicity from three commercially available pesticides. These were leptophos, fenthion, and isofenphos. In each case, human disease was either observed or suggested by specialized toxicity testing. The reasons that federally recommended screening measures failed to identify a potential for human neurotoxicity were not accidental, but stem from a systematic approach that focuses on a traditional definition of acute lethal toxicity. The oral single dose study on one species appears to be insufficient for recognizing the delayed neurotoxic hazard of many representatives of this chemical class. The recent addition of a recommended biochemical assay--neurotoxic esterase (NTE)--to federal guidelines potentially improves sensitivity, but it is purely adjunctive and does not amend underlying ambiguities in selecting the dose and route of administration. It is also quite probable that human neurotoxicity may be a potential hazard from exposure to more than the handful of organophosphorus pesticides that have been described in the literature.     

Methylphenidate and brain dopamine neurotoxicity

To further evaluate the dopamine (DA) neurotoxic potential of the widely prescribed psychostimulant, methylphenidate, mice were treated with various doses (range: 10–120 mg/kg) and treatment schedules of methylphenidate (every 2 h×4 or twice daily×4). Higher doses of methylphenidate produced intense stereotypy, as well as short- (5-day), but not long- (2-week), term depletions of striatal DA axonal markers. By contrast, amphetamine caused not only intense stereotypy, but also profound, long-lasting, dose-related DA deficits. These findings indicate that results of studies of amphetamine neurotoxicity using short (5-day) post-drug survival periods are potentially misleading. Further, the present findings confirm and extend previous results indicating that methylphenidate, unlike amphetamine, lacks DA neurotoxic potential, and strongly suggest that DA efflux, although perhaps necessary, is not sufficient for the expression of amphetamine-induced DA neurotoxicity.     

Estimation of the delayed neurotoxic potential and potency for a series of triaryl phosphates using an in vitro test with metabolic activation

The delayed neurotoxic potential of 0,0-diphenyl-o-tolyl phosphate (MOCP), tri-o-tolyl phosphate (TOCP), 0,0-diphenyl-m-tolyl phosphate (MMCP), tri-m-tolyl phosphate (TMCP), 0,0-diphenyl-p-tolyl phosphate (MPCP) and tri-p-tolyl phosphate (TPCP) was determined using an in vitro neurotoxic esterase test with metabolic activation. None of the 6 compounds inhibited hen brain neurotoxic esterase activity in vitro when tested in the absence of metabolic activation using concentrations as high as 100 microM. Both MOCP and TOCP markedly inhibited activity in vitro after metabolism with rat liver microsomes. MOCP was twice as potent as TOCP and IC50 values were 6.2 and 12 microM, respectively. Adult hens were treated with 10 mg/kg MOCP, 10 mg/kg TOCP, 1000 mg/kp MMCP, 1000 mg/kg TMCP, and 1000 mg/kg TPCP. There was no inhibition of brain neurotoxic esterase 24 hours after MMCP, TMCP or TPCP. Inhibition by MOCP and TOCP was 86.8% and 40.7% respectively. The in vitro neurotoxicity test showed that MOCP and TOCP, 2 known neurotoxicants, had delayed neurotoxic potential and metabolism was required. The test also showed that the potency of MOCP was twice that of TOCP. This was confirmed in hens dosed with the 2 compounds since MOCP produced twice the inhibition of brain neurotoxic esterase as that produced by an equal dose of TOCP.     

Acetylcholinesterase and neuropathy target esterase in chickens treated with acephate

Reports that near-lethal doses of the pesticide methamidophos (O,S-dimethyl phosphoramidothioate) caused a delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN) in humans and that another phosphoramidate, isofenphos, caused OPIDN in the hen at high doses, prompted a study of the abilities of acephate (O,S-dimethyl acetylphosphoramidothioate) to inhibit brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and neuropathy target esterase (NTE) in vivo. Hens were treated orally with 5-700 mg/kg of acephate, or im with 50-200 micrograms/kg of diisopropyl-fluorophosphate (DFP, positive control) and sacrificed 24 hr later. Brain homogenates were assayed for AChE as an estimate of acute toxicity, for NTE to indicate acephate's potential to cause OPIDN, and for residues of acephate and its metabolite methamidophos. A range finding study confirmed the LD50 level for acephate was approximately 800 mg/kg. Regression analyses indicated an ID50 (a dose that inhibits 50% of activity) for acephate inhibition of AChE of 10 mg/kg and an extrapolated ID50 for inhibition of NTE of 1300 mg/kg, almost twice the LD50. In contrast, ID50 values for DFP were similar for AChE (146 micrograms/kg) and NTE (132 micrograms/kg). Brain methamidophos levels were 10 to 16 percent of the total acephate plus methamidophos brain concentration. The lower the dose of acephate, the higher was the relative percentage of methamidophos. The results show acephate is a more potent inhibitor of AChE than it is of NTE in hens and suggest it would be difficult to administer a single dose of acephate sufficient to cause OPIDN without killing the animal.     

Neuropathological effects of phenyl saligenin phosphate in chickens

Cyclic phenyl saligenin phosphate (PSP) proved to be a potent delayed neurotoxin, eliciting clinical disease and lesions, and depressing neuropathy target esterase and plasma cholinesterase at much lower doses than the protoxicant tri-ortho-tolyl phosphate (TOTP). Using adult White Leghorn chickens, we noted qualitative similarities in clinical signs and peripheral nerve and spinal cord lesions elicited by PSP and the TOTP. Ataxia and weakness were prominent clinical effects. Lesions began as a distal axonopathy affecting larger myelinated fibers in spinal cord white matter and peripheral nerve. The latter were studied in detail. Major features of the lesion were intra-axonal collections of mitochondria, dense and lamellar bodies, and granular degeneration of neurofilaments. These led to Wallerian-like degeneration. Percentages of teased peripheral nerve fibers demonstrating such degeneration correlated with severity of clinical signs.     

Toxicokinetics and metabolism of delayed neurotoxic organophosphorus esters

The data presented here indicate that rodents metabolize and excrete delayed neurotoxic organophosphorus esters with great efficiency. By contrast, the adult chicken seems to have difficulty carrying out these processes. The cat is intermediate between rodents and chickens. Although further studies are needed, these results suggest that the hen model may exaggerate the effect of neurotoxic organophosphorus esters. Extrapolation of findings from the chicken may thus overestimate the risk or hazard of organophosphorus esters to humans. This may explain why no human case of EPN-induced delayed neurotoxicity has been reported despite the fact that it has been in use for over a quarter of a century. Other neurotoxicity data from our laboratory seem to support the suggestion that the cat may be a better model to extrapolate neurotoxicity results to humans. The data presented in this review suggest that the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of organophosphorus esters may play a prominent role in species and age sensitivities for OPIDN. Animals that are sensitive to delayed neurotoxicity have a higher accumulation rate, coupled with slower elimination of the neurotoxic agent. These studies, however, do not rule out the possibility that the target tissue of organophosphorus delayed neurotoxicity itself is species or age specific.     

Possible role of enhanced microtubule phosphorylation in dichlorvos induced delayed neurotoxicity in rat

The effect of a single subcutaneous dose of 200 mg/kg body weight dichlorvos on neuronal microtubule phosphorylation has been studied in rat following the development of organophosphate induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN). Microtubule associated Ca2+/calmodulin dependent as well as cAMP dependent protein kinases were assayed. Dichlorvos administration led to a consistent increase in the activity of both the kinases at all post exposure intervals (7th, 15th and 21st day) as compared to that of controls. After in vitro phosphorylation using [gamma-32P]ATP, various proteins were resolved on one-dimensional 8% SDS-PAGE, stained with Coomassie Blue and autoradiographed. The amount of 32P incorporated was quantified by microdensitometry. Dichlorvos enhanced the phosphorylation of 55- and 280-kDa proteins. These two proteins were identified as tubulin and microtubule associated protein-2 (MAP-2) by immunoblotting. This study showed that dichlorvos induced hyperphosphorylation of tubulin and MAP-2 which in turn destabilizes microtubule assembly, and may ultimately result in axonal degeneration leading to dichlorvos induced delayed neurotoxicity.     

Immunohistochemical study of phosphorylated neurofilaments during the evolution of organophosphorus ester-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN)

Organophosphorus ester-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) is manifest by delayed degeneration of distal levels of long myelinated fibers following an appropriate neurotoxic exposure. We investigated the dynamics of cytoskeletal changes during nerve fiber degeneration in this condition, focusing on the immunohistochemistry of axonal phosphorylated neurofilaments. OPIDN was produced in 5-month-old White Leghorn hens using a single 2.5 mg/kg intramuscular dose of phenyl saligenin phosphate. Hens were sacrificed on days 4, 7, 9, 15, and 20, and the tibial nerve branch to the gastrocnemius muscle was studied by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry (using the SMI 31 monoclonal primary antibody to phosphorylated neurofilaments). At post-dosing days 9, 15, and 20 various stages of OPIDN lesions were noted, including axonal swelling and myelinated nerve fiber degeneration. These were associated with intra-axonal cytoskeletal lysis, manifest by loss of immunolabeled phosphorylated neurofilaments, a process consistent with proteolysis. Aggregations of excess axonal phosphorylated neurofilaments were not observed.     

Anomalous phosphorylated neurofilament aggregations in central and peripheral axons of hens treated with tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate (TOCP).

Previous biochemical studies demonstrated a dramatic increase in phosphorylation of cytoskeletal proteins that occurs early in organophosphorus ester-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN). In this report we present immunohistochemical evidence that there is anomalous aggregation of phosphorylated neurofilaments within central and peripheral axons following organophosphate exposure. The morphology, location, and time of appearance of these aggregations are consistent with the hypothesis that the aberrant phosphorylation of cytoskeletal elements is an antecedent to the focal axonal swelling and degeneration characteristic of OPIDN.     

Neuropathologic effects of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF)-induced promotion and protection in organophosphorus ester-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) in hens

The serine/cysteine protease inhibitor phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) has been used both to promote and to protect against neuropathic events of organophosphorus-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) in hens (Veronesi and Padilla, 1985; Pope and Padilla, 1990; Lotti et al., 1991; Pope et al., 1993; Randall et al., 1997). This study is the first to expand upon this work by using high resolution microscopy provided by epoxy resin embedding and thin sectioning to evaluate neuropathological manifestations of promotion and protection, and to correlate them with associated clinical modifications. To evaluate dose-related effects of OPIDN, single phenyl saligenin phosphate (PSP) dosages of 0.5, 1.0, or 2.5 mg/kg were administered to adult hens. PMSF (90 mg/kg) was given either 4 hours after (for promotion) or 12 hours prior to (for protection) PSP administration. Clinical signs and pathologic changes in the biventer cervicis nerve, which is uniquely sensitive to OPIDN (El-Fawal et al., 1988), were monitored. PSP alone, 2.5 mg/kg, caused severe OPIDN (terminal clinical score 7.5 +/- 1.0 [0-8 scale]; neuropathology score 2.7 +/- 0.3 [0-4 scale, based on myelinated fiber degeneration]). PMSF given 12 hours prior to PSP gave complete protection (clinical and neuropathology scores of 0; p<0.0001 compared to PSP alone). Signs and lesions of OPIDN were absent following 0.5 mg/kg PSP alone, but PMSF given 4 hours after PSP potentiated its neurotoxic effects (all hens had clinical scores of 4.0 and the average neuropathology score was 3.5 +/- 0.3; p<0.0001 compared to PSP alone). Although quantitative differences were noted, qualitative differences among nerves from hens with OPIDN were not evident, either with light or electron microscopy. At the time of sacrifice, there was a statistically linear relationship (r2 = 0.76) between the clinical scores on the last day of observation and the neuropathology scores (p<0.0001). This study demonstrates that the degree of peripheral nerve myelinated fiber degeneration correlates with clinical deficits in PMSF-induced potentiation of and protection against OPIDN.     

The usefulness of rabbits as an animal model for the neuropathological assessment of neurotoxicity following the administration of vincristine

Vincristine is an effective chemotherapeutic agent for a variety of human neoplasms, but has dose-limiting neurotoxicity. Since laboratory rodents have proven to be refractive in such neurotoxicological studies, we conducted a neuropathological and behavioral assessment in rabbits treated with vincristine at doses known to be both chemotherapeutically effective and neurotoxic in humans. Rabbits (Kbl: NZW) were given vincristine intravenously at doses of 0 (saline), 200, 250 or 300 microg/kg once a week for 6 weeks, 500 microg/kg once a week for 3 weeks, or a single 500 microg/kg administration. Detailed periodic neurologic examination revealed ataxia in a few animals. Pathologically, axonal injury progressing to fiber degeneration was observed in sensory tracts such as the posterior spinocerebellar tract and posterior funiculus, and in peripheral nerves after treatment with vincristine. These alterations were observed even after a single dose of 500 microg/kg. In the group given weekly doses of 500 microg/kg, neuronal chromatolysis was also found in the spinal cord. These results suggest the rabbit is responsive to vincristine neurotoxicity producing a predominantly sensory neuropathy and confirming earlier studies.     

Haloxon-induced delayed neurotoxicity: effect of plasma A (aryl) esterase activity on severity of lesions in sheep

A markedly different response to the delayed neurotoxic effects of a single dose of 400 or 800 mg/kg of the organophosphorus anthelmintic haloxon was observed in two populations of sheep. Animals with a gentically determined low level of activity of the plasma enzyme A (aryl) esterase developed clinical signs of delayed neurotoxicity within one month. Lesions relating to degeneration of myelinated nerve fibers were seen in brain stem, spinal cord, and on occasion peripheral nerve. The incidence of clinical signs, and severity of lesions as determined by semiquantitative morphological study of the spinal cord, were greater in animals given the higher dose. Neither clinical signs nor lesions relating to organophosphate-induced delayed neurotoxicity were seen in sheep with high plasma activity of A esterase.     

Methamphetamine-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity in mice: long-lasting sensitization to the locomotor stimulation and desensitization to the rewarding effects of methamphetamine

High doses of methamphetamine (METH) cause the depletion of striatal dopaminergic markers; however, little is known about the behavioral consequences of METH-induced neurotoxicity. In the present study, the authors investigated the effect of a neurotoxic dose of METH (5 mg/kg; every 3 h x3) on the subsequent response of Swiss Webster mice to (a) the psychomotor-stimulating effect of METH and (b) the acquisition and maintenance of conditioned place preference (CPP) by METH. The latter is a paradigm for the assessment of the rewarding properties of abused substances. The administration of the high dose of METH resulted in significant depletion of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites and dopamine transporter (DAT) binding sites in the striatum. The dopaminergic markers were below control levels until the 95th day after METH administration. METH-pretreated mice were sensitized to the psychomotor-stimulating effect of METH (1 mg/kg) as determined on Days 3 and 74 after the initial exposure to the neurotoxic dose of METH. However, the acquisition of CPP by METH (0.5 mg/kg) was markedly reduced in the mice pretreated with the neurotoxic dose of METH compared with the control group. The CPP was maintained for 8 weeks in the control group but not in the METH group. A priming injection of METH (0.5 mg/kg) caused marked reinstatement of place preference in the control group; this response was maintained for three additional weeks. However, the priming injection of METH resulted in diminished place preference in the METH group and the conditioned response dissipated within 3 weeks. These findings suggest that METH-induced striatal dopaminergic neurotoxicity is associated with two opposing and long-lasting behavioral outcomes: (a) sensitization to the psychomotor-stimulating effect of the drug and (b) desensitization to the rewarding properties of the drug. These consequences may be relevant to the psychopathology of METH abuse.