Micro-/nanorobot technology has developed rapidly in recent years due to their great potential to perform multiple tasks. Here, we develop magnetic microrobots prepared as polycaprolactone/Fe3O4 microspheres covered by micellar polyethyleneimine and use them to efficiently remove a nerve agent from contaminated water. The magnetic polymeric microrobots presented in this work removed around 60% of the nerve agent from water samples in a short time. The attractive performance of these magnetic microrobots offers a very promising approach to large-scale water treatment for environmental remediation.

• Klíčová slova
• decontamination, fenitrothion, micro-/nanomotors, nerve agent, transversal rotating magnetic field,
• MeSH
• magnetické jevy MeSH
• micely MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * MeSH
• polyethylenimin MeSH
• polymery * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• micely MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * MeSH
• polyethylenimin MeSH
• polymery * MeSH

Understanding the fundamental physical characteristics of extremely toxic compounds and their behavior across different environments plays a crucial role in assessing their danger. Additionally, this knowledge informs the development of protocols for gathering forensic evidence related to harmful chemicals misuse. In 2018, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned in Salisbury, England, with a substance later identified as the unconventional nerve agent A-234. Contamination with the compound was found on items inside Skripal's home. The aim of this paper was to determine the persistence of A-234 on selected indoor surfaces. Ceramics, aluminum can, laminated chipboard, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) floor tile, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle, acrylic paint and computer keyboard were used as matrices. The decrease in surface contamination and further fate of the compound was monitored for 12 weeks. Persistence determination involved optimizing the wipe sampling method. Simultaneously, evaporation from the surface and permeation of the contaminant into the matrix were closely monitored. The experimental findings indicate that the nerve agent exhibits remarkable persistence, particularly on impermeable surfaces. Notably, the process of A-234 evaporation plays a minor role in determining its fate, with detectable concentrations observed solely above solid, non-porous surfaces such as ceramics and aluminum can. The surface persistence half-life varied significantly, ranging from 12 min to 478 days, depending on the material. The article has implications for emergency response protocols, decontamination strategies, public health and crime scene investigations.

• Klíčová slova
• A-agents, Chemical weapons, Gas chromatography, Navalny, Novichok, Salisbury,
• MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * analýza   MeSH
• polyethylentereftaláty chemie   MeSH
• znečištění vzduchu ve vnitřním prostředí analýza   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• nervová bojová látka * MeSH
• polyethylentereftaláty MeSH

Oxime K203 seems to be the most promising oxime in case of reactivation of tabun-inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Although it was originally developed for treatment of tabun intoxications, it is able to reactivate cholinesterases inhibited by other nerve agents. This study is aimed at the evaluation of its potency in vitro against other nerve agents. For this purpose, sarin, tabun, cyclosarin, soman, VX, Russian VX and DFP were selected as members of the nerve agent family to check its universality. At high concentrations (10(-3) M), oxime K203 reached promising reactivation activity. At low concentrations, relevant for human use (10(-5) M), promising reactivation potency was obtained only with tabun. In conclusion, oxime K203 reactivates other nerve agents-inhibited cholinesterases, however its broad-spectrum reactivation is limited at high, for human not attainable, concentrations only.

• MeSH
• acetylcholinesterasa metabolismus   MeSH
• cholinesterasové inhibitory farmakologie   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nervová bojová látka farmakologie   MeSH
• oximy farmakologie   MeSH
• pyridinové sloučeniny farmakologie   MeSH
• reaktivátory cholinesterasy farmakologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• 1-(4-carbamoylpyridinium)-4-(4-hydroxyiminomethylpyridinium)but-2-ene MeSH Prohlížeč
• acetylcholinesterasa MeSH
• cholinesterasové inhibitory MeSH
• nervová bojová látka MeSH
• oximy MeSH
• pyridinové sloučeniny MeSH
• reaktivátory cholinesterasy MeSH

The risk of the use of toxic chemicals for unlawful acts has been a matter of concern for different governments and multilateral agencies. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which oversees the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), considering recent events employing chemical warfare agents as means of assassination, has recently included in the CWC "Annex on Chemicals" some organophosphorus compounds that are regarded as acting in a similar fashion to the classical G- and V-series of nerve agents, inhibiting the pivotal enzyme acetylcholinesterase. Therefore, knowledge of the activity of the pyridinium oximes, the sole class of clinically available acetylcholinesterase reactivators to date, is plainly justified. In this paper, continuing our research efforts in medicinal chemistry on this class of toxic chemicals, we synthesized an A-230 nerve agent surrogate and applied a modified Ellman's assay to evaluate its ability to inhibit our enzymatic model, acetylcholinesterase from Electrophorus eel, and if the clinically available antidotes are able to rescue the enzyme activity for the purpose of relating the findings to the previously disclosed in silico data for the authentic nerve agent and other studies with similar A-series surrogates. Our experimental data indicates that pralidoxime is the most efficient compound for reactivating acetylcholinesterase inhibited by A-230 surrogate, which is the opposite of the in silico data previously disclosed.

• Klíčová slova
• A-230, Acetylcholinesterase, Antidotes, Chemical Weapons Convention, Nerve agent surrogates,
• MeSH
• acetylcholinesterasa * metabolismus   MeSH
• antidota farmakologie   MeSH
• chemické bojové látky * toxicita   MeSH
• cholinesterasové inhibitory * toxicita   MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * toxicita   MeSH
• organothiofosforové sloučeniny toxicita   MeSH
• oximy * farmakologie   MeSH
• pralidoximové sloučeniny farmakologie   MeSH
• pyridinové sloučeniny * farmakologie   MeSH
• reaktivátory cholinesterasy * farmakologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• acetylcholinesterasa * MeSH
• antidota MeSH
• chemické bojové látky * MeSH
• cholinesterasové inhibitory * MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * MeSH
• organothiofosforové sloučeniny MeSH
• oximy * MeSH
• pralidoxime MeSH Prohlížeč
• pralidoximové sloučeniny MeSH
• pyridinové sloučeniny * MeSH
• reaktivátory cholinesterasy * MeSH

The potency of the bispyridinium non-oxime compound MB327 [1,1'-(propane-1,3-diyl)bis(4-tert-butylpyridinium) diiodide] to increase the therapeutic efficacy of the standard antidotal treatment (atropine in combination with an oxime) of acute poisoning with organophosphorus nerve agents was studied in vivo. The therapeutic efficacy of atropine alone - or atropine in combination with an oxime, MB327, or both an oxime and MB237 - was evaluated by the determination of LD50 values of several nerve agents (tabun, sarin and soman) in mice with and without treatment. The addition of MB327 increased the therapeutic efficacy of atropine alone, and atropine in combination with an oxime, against all three nerve agents, although differences in the LD50 values only reached statistical significance for sarin. In conclusion, the addition of the compound MB327 to the standard antidotal treatment of acute poisonings with nerve agents was beneficial regardless of the chemical structure of the nerve agent, although at the dose employed, MB327 in combination with atropine, or atropine and an oxime, provided only a modest increase in protection ratio. These results from mice, and previous ones from guinea-pigs, provide consistent evidence for additional, albeit modest, efficacy resulting from the inclusion of the antinicotinic compound MB327 in standard antidotal therapy. Given the typically steep probit slope for the dose-lethality relationship for nerve agents, such modest increases in protection ratio could provide significant survival benefit.

• Klíčová slova
• Atropine, MB327, mice, nerve agents, oximes,
• MeSH
• antidota aplikace a dávkování   terapeutické užití   toxicita   MeSH
• atropin aplikace a dávkování   terapeutické užití   toxicita   MeSH
• inbrední kmeny myší MeSH
• kombinovaná farmakoterapie MeSH
• LD50 MeSH
• molekulární struktura MeSH
• nervová bojová látka otrava   MeSH
• otrava farmakoterapie   MeSH
• oximy aplikace a dávkování   terapeutické užití   toxicita   MeSH
• pyridinové sloučeniny aplikace a dávkování   chemická syntéza   terapeutické užití   toxicita   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antidota MeSH
• atropin MeSH
• MB327 MeSH Prohlížeč
• nervová bojová látka MeSH
• oximy MeSH
• pyridinové sloučeniny MeSH

A Y-shaped push-pull dye (1) with N,N-dimethylanilino donors and a benzonitrile acceptor connected via an imidazole-based π-conjugated spacer was designed. It showed a dark yellow color in solution due to facile intramolecular charge-transfer interaction, but no fluorescence was detected, presumably due to the photo-induced electron transfer effect of the imidazole moiety. However, addition of nerve agents such as diethyl chlorophosphate (DCP, sarin mimic) and diethyl cyanophosphate (DCNP, Tabun mimic) resulted in a blue-colored fluorescence with fading of the native dark yellow color. Mechanistic studies indicated nucleophilic attack of imidazole at the phosphorus of DCP or DCNP, leading to the formation of a phosphorylated intermediate, which undergoes time-dependent hydrolysis (∼24 h) in aqueous medium. This process recovers the free probe (enzyme-like behavior) and releases a less-toxic organophosphate compound as the byproduct. The phosphorylated derivative of 1, formed during such interaction, shows a different electronic behavior, which reduces the extent of charge-transfer interaction as well as nonradiative decay and supports emissive properties. Considering the high sensitivity of 1 towards DCP and DCNP with LOD 35 and 42 ppb, we prepared easy test strips for on-site vapor-phase detection of nerve agents.

• MeSH
• fluorescence MeSH
• imidazoly MeSH
• katalýza MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• imidazoly MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * MeSH

The nerve agents of the A-series are relatively recent chemical weapons with no antidote available yet. Once inside the human body, those chemicals act similarly to the classic nerve agents, by binding to the catalytic residue Serine 203 (Ser203) of human acetylcholinesterase (HssAChE) and thus preventing the proper function of this enzyme. However, there is no experimental evidence yet if the current antidotes for intoxication by nerve agents are also capable of restoring AChE inhibited by the nerve agents of the A-series. In order to launch some light on this issue, we used computational techniques (molecular docking, molecular dynamics and MM-PBSA interaction energy calculations) to assess the performances of the four currently available commercial oximes (2-PAM, HI-6, obidoxime and trimedoxime) when in contact with HssAChE inhibited by the agent A-242. Based on the near-attack conformation (NAC) criterion, our results suggest that the commercial oximes would have limited efficacy to reactivate the enzyme since they are not able to properly approach the adduct Ser203-A-242. Among those oximes, trimedoxime seems to be the most promising, since it showed lower values of energy in the MM-PBSA calculations, a higher stability inside the catalytic anionic center (CAS) of HssAChE, and was able to adopt a position closer to the NAC that could enable the reactivation mechanism.

• Klíčová slova
• A-242, A-series nerve agents, Commercial oximes, Near-attack conformation,
• MeSH
• acetylcholinesterasa metabolismus   MeSH
• antidota farmakologie   MeSH
• cholinesterasové inhibitory chemie   toxicita   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * toxicita   MeSH
• organofosfáty MeSH
• oximy chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• pyridinové sloučeniny farmakologie   MeSH
• reaktivátory cholinesterasy * farmakologie   MeSH
• simulace molekulového dockingu MeSH
• trimedoxim farmakologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• acetylcholinesterasa MeSH
• antidota MeSH
• cholinesterasové inhibitory MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * MeSH
• novichok MeSH Prohlížeč
• organofosfáty MeSH
• oximy MeSH
• pyridinové sloučeniny MeSH
• reaktivátory cholinesterasy * MeSH
• trimedoxim MeSH

BACKGROUND: Intoxication by nerve agents could be prevented by using small acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (eg, pyridostigmine) for potentially exposed personnel. However, the serious side effects of currently used drugs led to research of novel potent molecules for prophylaxis of organophosphorus intoxication. METHODS: The molecular design, molecular docking, chemical synthesis, in vitro methods (enzyme inhibition, cytotoxicity, and nicotinic receptors modulation), and in vivo methods (acute toxicity and prophylactic effect) were used to study bispyridinium, bisquinolinium, bisisoquinolinium, and pyridinium-quinolinium/isoquinolinium molecules presented in this study. RESULTS: The studied molecules showed non-competitive inhibitory ability towards human acetylcholinesterase in vitro that was further confirmed by molecular modelling studies. Several compounds were selected for further studies. First, their cytotoxicity, nicotinic receptors modulation, and acute toxicity (lethal dose for 50% of laboratory animals [LD50]; mice and rats) were tested to evaluate their safety with promising results. Furthermore, their blood levels were measured to select the appropriate time for prophylactic administration. Finally, the protective ratio of selected compounds against soman-induced toxicity was determined when selected compounds were found similarly potent or only slightly better to standard pyridostigmine. CONCLUSION: The presented small bisquaternary molecules did not show overall benefit in prophylaxis of soman-induced in vivo toxicity.

• Klíčová slova
• AChE inhibitors, nerve agents, pre-treatment, prophylaxis, soman, toxicity,
• MeSH
• acetylcholinesterasa metabolismus   MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• cholinesterasové inhibitory chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• HeLa buňky MeSH
• knihovny malých molekul chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• molekulární modely MeSH
• molekulární struktura MeSH
• nervová bojová látka škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• soman škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• viabilita buněk účinky léků   MeSH
• vztah mezi dávkou a účinkem léčiva MeSH
• vztahy mezi strukturou a aktivitou MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• acetylcholinesterasa MeSH
• cholinesterasové inhibitory MeSH
• knihovny malých molekul MeSH
• nervová bojová látka MeSH
• soman 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

A benzodiazepine, diazepam, has been the leading antidote for seizures caused by nerve agents, the most toxic chemical weapons of mass destruction, since the 1960s. However, its limitations have often brought questions about its usefulness. Extensive effort has been devoted into exploring alternatives, such as other benzodiazepines, anticholinergics, or glutamate antagonists. However, only few showed clear clinical benefit. The only two options to ultimately reach clinical milestones are Avizafone, a water-soluble prodrug of diazepam adopted by the French and UK armed forces, and intramuscular midazolam, adopted by the US Army. The recently FDA-approved new intramuscular application of midazolam brought several advantages, such as rapid onset of action, short duration with predictable pharmacokinetics, increased water solubility for aqueous injectable solutions, and prolonged storage stability. Herein, we discuss the pitfalls and prospects of using midazolam as a substitute in anticonvulsant therapy with a particular focus on military purposes in combat casualty care. We have also considered and discussed several other alternatives that are currently at the experimental level. Recent studies have shown the superiority of midazolam over other benzodiazepines in the medical management of poisoned casualties. While its use in emergency care is straightforward, the proper dose for soldiers under battlefield conditions is questionable due to its sedative effects.

• MeSH
• antikonvulziva * aplikace a dávkování   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• diazepam * aplikace a dávkování   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• midazolam * aplikace a dávkování   MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * MeSH
• záchvaty * farmakoterapie   chemicky indukované   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antikonvulziva * MeSH
• diazepam * MeSH
• midazolam * MeSH
• nervová bojová látka * MeSH