Effect of soman on schedule-controlled behavior and brain acetylcholinesterase in rats

Life Sci. 1985 Dec 23;37(25):2421-30. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(85)90110-9.

Abstract

Rats were trained to press a lever under a multiple fixed-ratio 25 fixed-interval 50-second (FR25 FI50-sec) schedule of food reinforcement. Soman, 70-90 micrograms/kg, s.c., suppressed response rates in both components, with a slightly greater effect in the FI schedule. The pattern of responding under the FI schedule, however, was maintained until lever-pressing was nearly completely suppressed. At the highest doses, soman occasionally caused tremors or mild tonic seizures with hindlimb abduction. The suppression of response rate was correlated with inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in all brain regions examined: cortex, striatum, hippocampus, hypothalamus and brainstem. Cortical AChE was inhibited to the highest degree, while striatal AChE was most resistant to inhibition by soman.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholinesterase / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects*
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / enzymology*
  • Brain Stem / enzymology
  • Cerebral Cortex / enzymology
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Corpus Striatum / enzymology
  • Hippocampus / enzymology
  • Hypothalamus / enzymology
  • Kinetics
  • Male
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred Strains
  • Reinforcement, Psychology
  • Seizures / chemically induced
  • Soman / pharmacology*
  • Soman / toxicity

Substances

  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors
  • Soman
  • Acetylcholinesterase