Application of a dynamic in vitro model with real-time determination of acetylcholinesterase activity for the investigation of tabun analogues and oximes

Tabun-inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is rather resistant towards reactivation by oximes in vitro while in vivo experiments showed some protection of animals poisoned by this chemical warfare nerve agent after treatment with an oxime and atropine. In addition, AChE inhibited by close tabun analogues, N,N-diethyltabun and N,N-di-n-propyltabun was completely resistant towards reactivation by oximes. In order to get more insight into potential mechanisms of this oxime resistance experiments with these toxic agents and the oximes obidoxime, 2-PAM, MMB-4 and HI-6 were performed utilizing a dynamic model with real-time determination of AChE activity. This experimental setup allowed the investigation of reactivation with minimized side reactions. The determined reactivation constants with tabun-inhibited human AChE were in good agreement with previously reported constants determined with a static model. N,N-diethyl- and N,N-di-n-propyltabun-inhibited human AChE could not be reactivated by oximes which indicates that the inadequate oxime effect was not due to re-inhibition by phosphonyloximes. Additional experiments with tabun-inhibited human and Rhesus monkey AChE revealed that no reactivation occurred with HI-6. These data give further support to the assumption that an interaction of tabun with residues in the active site gorge of AChE prevents effective reactivation by oximes, a mechanism which may also be the reason for the total oxime resistance of N,N-diethyl- and N,N-di-n-propyltabun-inhibited human AChE.