Eyer_1992_Arch.Toxicol_66_603

HL 7 dimethanesulfonate (1-[[[4-(aminocarbonyl)pyridinio]methoxy]methyl]-2,4-bis [(hydroxyimino)methyl]pyridinium dimethanesulfonate) is a broad-spectrum reactivator against highly toxic organophosphorus compounds. The compound was synthesized by a new route with the carcinogenic bis(chloromethyl)ether being substituted by the non-mutagenic bis(methylsulfonoxymethyl)ether. The very soluble dimethanesulfonate of obidoxime was also prepared by this way. HL 7 dimethanesulfonate is the first water-soluble salt of HL 7 that should be suitable for the wet/dry autoinjector technology, because aqueous solutions of HL 7 are not very stable (calculated shelf-life 0.2 years when stored at 8 degrees C, 1 M solution, pH 2.5). The crystalline preparation contains 96% of the syn/syn-isomer, less than 2% of the syn/anti-isomer and some minor identified by-products. HL 7 was very efficient in reactivating acetylcholinesterase (AChE) blocked by organophosphates as long as ageing did not prevent dephosphylation. HL 7 was superior to HI 6 (1-[[[4-(aminocarbonyl)pyridinio]methoxy]methyl]-2- [(hydroxyimino)methyl]pyridinium dichloride) in reactivating soman and sarin-inhibited AChE from erythrocytes, and literature data indicate that HL 7 exceeds HI 6 by far in reactivating tabun-inhibited AChE. In atropine-protected, soman-poisoned mice HL 7 was three times more potent than HI 6 (protective ratio 5 versus 2.5), and in sarin-poisoned mice HL 7 was 10 times more potent than HI 6 (protective ratio 8 for both oximes). In atropine-protected guinea-pigs HL 7 was less effective than HI 6 (protective ratio: 2.3 versus 5.2 for soman; 5.2 versus 6.8 for sarin; 4.3 versus 3.8 for tabun). The mean survival time of anaesthetized guinea-pigs exposed to 5 LD50 soman (6.3 min) was increased by atropine (27 min) and atropine + HL (57 min). HL 7 alone did not prolong the survival. The most impressive effect of HL 7 was on respiration: 3 min after i.v. injection of HL 7 and atropine, the depressed respiration increased rapidly to 60% of control and remained at that level during the observation period (60 min). With atropine alone, respiration recovered only slowly. Behavioural and physiologic parameters were determined in atropine-protected mice exposed to a sublethal soman dose. The running performance was significantly improved by HL 7. Even central symptoms, e.g. hypothermia and convulsions, were decreased markedly by HL 7 (evaluation 60 min after poisoning). The pharmacokinetic data for HL 7 in male beagle dogs are similar to those of HI 6.