Lymphocyte and brain neurotoxic esterase: dose and time dependence of inhibition in the hen examined with three organophosphorus esters.

Certain organic phosphorus esters produce sensorimotor axonopathy in man and other species. There is an excellent correlation between the capacity of an organophosphorus compound to produce axonopathy and its ability to inhibit brain neurotoxic esterase (NTE) in hens. Because NTE is present in peripheral lymphocytes of both hen and man, it has been suggested that the lymphocyte enzyme might be useful both in experimental and clinical situations as an indicator of exposure to organophosphorus compounds producing axonopathy. Diethyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate (paraoxon), tri-2-cresyl phosphate (TOCP), methyl 2,5-dichloro-4-bromophenyl phenylphosphonothionate (leptophos), and di-n-butyl-2,2-dichlorovinyl phosphate (di-n-butyl dichlorvos, DBDCV) were used to examine the relationship between lymphocyte and brain NTE inhibition in hens. As expected, paraoxon (0.75 mg/kg) did not inhibit NTE in brain or lymphocytes. TOCP (10 to 100 mg/kg), leptophos (25 to 150 mg/kg), and DBDCV (1.0 to 4.0 mg/kg) inhibited both brain and lymphocyte NTE activity in a dose-related manner with good correlation of inhibition between tissues taken 24 hr after exposure (r2 = 0.53 to 0.67; p less than 0.020 to 0.001). However, correlation of inhibition between tissues taken from animals killed 48 hr after exposures was poor (r2 = 0.15 to 0.30; p less than 0.10 to 0.05), with consistently less inhibition of lymphocyte NTE relative to brain NTE. This study indicates that assay of lymphocyte NTE can provide a good monitor of exposure to axonotoxic organophosphorus compounds within 24 hr between exposure and measurement.