Skip to main content
Log in

Pharmacological effects of oximes: how relevant are they?

  • REVIEW
  • Published:
Archives of Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

 The increased international concern about the threat of military and terroristic use of nerve agents, prompted us to critically consider the expected value of the currently available oxime treatment of nerve agent poisoning. Although oximes have been designed to reactivate the inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE), clinical experience has indicated that they are not always very effective as reactivators and at this very moment none of them can be regarded as a broad-spectrum antidote. In spite of this drawback, oximes are worth further investigating, since recent data derived from soman or tabun lethally intoxicated non-human primates suggest that the oxime HI-6 may exert a pharmacological effect that is not related to reactivation of inhibited AChE, but still leads to survival. This pharmacological effect causes recovery of neuronal transmission in the respiratory centres of the brain and recovery of neuromuscular transmission in the diaphragm. These findings have stimulated research to reveal the pharmacological basis of these effects in order to find drugs which could be more effective and less toxic than the available oximes. Since cholinergic drugs were able to exert this effect, a new concept for further treatment is suggested: maintenance of neuronal transmission in spite of continued AChE-inhibition by pharmacological manipulation of the cholinergic receptor. This should renew interest in the diverse pharmacological effects of oximes to reach a more effective treatment in the future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Received: 14 December 1995/Accepted: 19 March 1996

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van Helden, H., Busker, R., Melchers, B. et al. Pharmacological effects of oximes: how relevant are they?. Arch Toxicol 70, 779–786 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002040050340

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002040050340

Navigation