A-series agent A-234 belongs to a new generation of nerve agents. The poisoning of a former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, in March 2018 led to the inclusion of A-234 and other A-series agents into the Chemical Weapons Convention. Even though five years have already passed, there is still very little information on its chemical properties, biological activities, and treatment options with established antidotes. In this article, we first assessed A-234 stability in neutral pH for subsequent experiments. Then, we determined its inhibitory potential towards human recombinant acetylcholinesterase (HssAChE; EC 3.1.1.7) and butyrylcholinesterase (HssBChE; EC 3.1.1.8), the ability of HI-6, obidoxime, pralidoxime, methoxime, and trimedoxime to reactivate inhibited cholinesterases (ChEs), its toxicity in rats and therapeutic effects of different antidotal approaches. Finally, we utilized molecular dynamics to explain our findings. The results of spontaneous A-234 hydrolysis showed a slow process with a reaction rate displaying a triphasic course during the first 72 h (the residual concentration 86.2%). A-234 was found to be a potent inhibitor of both human ChEs (HssAChE IC50 = 0.101 ± 0.003 µM and HssBChE IC50 = 0.036 ± 0.002 µM), whereas the five marketed oximes have negligible reactivation ability toward A-234-inhibited HssAChE and HssBChE. The acute toxicity of A-234 is comparable to that of VX and in the context of therapy, atropine and diazepam effectively mitigate A-234 lethality. Even though oxime administration may induce minor improvements, selected oximes (HI-6 and methoxime) do not reactivate ChEs in vivo. Molecular dynamics implies that all marketed oximes are weak nucleophiles, which may explain the failure to reactivate the A-234 phosphorus-serine oxygen bond characterized by low partial charge, in particular, HI-6 and trimedoxime oxime oxygen may not be able to effectively approach the A-234 phosphorus, while pralidoxime displayed low interaction energy. This study is the first to provide essential experimental preclinical data on the A-234 compound.

• Klíčová slova
• Acute toxicity, Hydrolysis, Nerve agent A-234, Reactivation, Therapy,
• MeSH
• acetylcholinesterasa MeSH
• antidota farmakologie   MeSH
• butyrylcholinesterasa MeSH
• cholinesterasové inhibitory toxicita   MeSH
• fosfor MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• kyslík MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• oximy farmakologie   MeSH
• pralidoximové sloučeniny * MeSH
• pyridinové sloučeniny farmakologie   MeSH
• reaktivátory cholinesterasy * farmakologie   MeSH
• taurin analogy a deriváty   MeSH
• trimedoxim farmakologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• 2-(N-cyclohexylamino)ethanesulfonic acid MeSH Prohlížeč
• acetylcholinesterasa MeSH
• antidota MeSH
• asoxime chloride MeSH Prohlížeč
• butyrylcholinesterasa MeSH
• cholinesterasové inhibitory MeSH
• fosfor MeSH
• kyslík MeSH
• N,N'-monomethylenebis(pyridiniumaldoxime) MeSH Prohlížeč
• oximy MeSH
• pralidoxime MeSH Prohlížeč
• pralidoximové sloučeniny * MeSH
• pyridinové sloučeniny MeSH
• reaktivátory cholinesterasy * MeSH
• taurin MeSH
• trimedoxim MeSH

Oxime reactivators of acetylcholinesterase are commonly used to treat highly toxic organophosphate poisoning. They are effective nucleophiles that can restore the catalytic activity of acetylcholinesterase; however, their main limitation is the difficulty in crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) because of their strongly hydrophilic nature. Various approaches to overcome this limitation and enhance the bioavailability of oxime reactivators in the CNS have been evaluated; these include structural modifications, conjugation with molecules that have transporters in the BBB, bypassing the BBB through intranasal delivery, and inhibition of BBB efflux transporters. A promising approach is the use of nanoparticles (NPs) as the delivery systems. Studies using mesoporous silica nanomaterials, poly (L-lysine)-graft-poly(ethylene oxide) NPs, metallic organic frameworks, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) NPs, human serum albumin NPs, liposomes, solid lipid NPs, and cucurbiturils, have shown promising results. Some NPs are considered as nanoreactors for organophosphate detoxification; these combine bioscavengers with encapsulated oximes. This study provides an overview and critical discussion of the strategies used to enhance the bioavailability of oxime reactivators in the central nervous system.

• Klíčová slova
• Acetylcholinesterase, Blood–brain barrier, Delivery system, Nanoparticle, Oxime, Reactivator,
• MeSH
• acetylcholinesterasa * MeSH
• biologická dostupnost MeSH
• biologický transport MeSH
• centrální nervový systém * MeSH
• hematoencefalická bariéra MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• acetylcholinesterasa * MeSH

"Novichok" refers to a new group of nerve agents called the A-series agents. Their existence came to light in 2018 after incidents in the UK and again in 2020 in Russia. They are unique organophosphorus-based compounds developed during the Cold War in a program called Foliant in the USSR. This review is based on original chemical entities from Mirzayanov's memoirs published in 2008. Due to classified research, a considerable debate arose about their structures, and hence, various structural moieties were speculated. For this reason, the scientific literature is highly incomplete and, in some cases, contradictory. This review critically assesses the information published to date on this class of compounds. The scope of this work is to summarize all the available and relevant information, including the physicochemical properties, chemical synthesis, mechanism of action, toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and medical countermeasures used to date. The environmental stability of A-series agents, the lack of environmentally safe decontamination, their high toxicity, and the scarcity of information on post-contamination treatment pose a challenge for managing possible incidents.

• Klíčová slova
• A-series agents, Analysis, Environmental stability, Physicochemical properties, Therapy, Toxicity,
• MeSH
• kontaminace léku * MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * toxicita   MeSH
• organofosforové sloučeniny MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• nervová bojová látka * MeSH
• organofosforové sloučeniny MeSH

Organophosphorus compounds (OPs) involving life-threatening nerve agents (NA) have been known for several decades. Despite a clear mechanism of their lethality caused by the irreversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and manifested via overstimulation of peripheral nicotinic and muscarinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors, the mechanism for central neurotoxicity responsible for acute or delayed symptoms of the poisoning has not been thoroughly uncovered. One of the reasons is the lack of a suitable model. In our study, we have chosen the SH-SY5Y model in both the differentiated and undifferentiated state to study the effects of NAs (GB, VX and A234). The activity of expressed AChE in cell lysate assessed by Ellman's method showed 7.3-times higher activity in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells in contrast to undifferentiated cells, and with no involvement of BuChE as proved by ethopropazine (20 µM). The activity of AChE was found to be, in comparison to untreated cells, 16-, 9.3-, and 1.9-times lower upon A234, VX, and GB (100 µM) administration respectively. The cytotoxic effect of given OPs expressed as the IC50 values for differentiated and undifferentiated SH-SY5Y, respectively, was found 12 mM and 5.7 mM (A234), 4.8 mM and 1.1 mM (VX) and 2.6 mM and 3.8 mM (GB). In summary, although our results confirm higher AChE expression in the differentiated SH-SY5Y cell model, the such higher expression does not lead to a more pronounced NA cytotoxic effect. On the contrary, higher expression of AChE may attenuate NA-induced cytotoxicity by scavenging the NA. Such finding highlights a protective role for cholinesterases by scavenging Novichoks (A-agents). Second, we confirmed the mechanism of cytotoxicity of NAs, including A-agents, can be ascribed rather to the non-specific effects of OPs than to AChE-mediated effects.

• Klíčová slova
• Acetylcholinesterase, Cytotoxicity, Neuroprotection, Neurotoxicity, Organophosphates, SH-SY5Y,
• MeSH
• acetylcholinesterasa metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * MeSH
• neuroblastom * MeSH
• neurotoxické syndromy * etiologie   MeSH
• protinádorové látky * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• acetylcholinesterasa MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * MeSH
• protinádorové látky * MeSH
• VX MeSH Prohlížeč