Toxicity of Soman after Repetitive Injection of Sublethal Doses in Guinea‐Pig and Mouse

Abstract

Injection of sublethal doses of soman in guinea-pig and mouse subcutaneously every 3.5, 8, 12 or 24 hours led to cumulative LD50 doses which were markedly higher than the acute one. When animals were exposed every 24 hrs to half LD50 doses of soman, a majority of guinea-pigs but relatively few mice, survived a total exposure of 5–6 times the acute LD50 dose. Guinea-pig brain and diaphragm acetylcholinesterase activities declined steadily during the repeated soman exposure. Plasma cholinesterase activity was less than 10% 1 hr after soman injection, but was restored to 40–50% of control within 24 hrs. Liver aliesterase activity was not significantly inhibited by soman, whereas plasma aliesterase activity was 70% inhibited after 1 hr and restored to control level within 24 hrs. TOCP treatment of guinea-pig led to 3-fold increase in acute soman toxicity, and reduced their tolerance from more than 6 LD50 to 2.5 LD50 dose of soman. It is concluded that the recovery of plasma aliesterase and cholinesterase play an important part in the observed tolerance towards repeated soman treatment.