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J.Health Sci., 45(4), 209-216, 1999

Lack of Correlation of Organophosphorus-Induced Delayed Neuropathy with Neuropathy Target Esterase in Hens and Japanese Quails

Ryo Kamata,a Tadahiko Suzuki,a Shin-ya Saito,c Hisayoshi Kofujita,b Michikazu Ota,b Haruo Kobayashi *,a

aDepartment of Veterinary Pharmacology, bWood Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka 020-8550, Japan, and cDepartment of Pharmaceutical Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan

Chickens are sensitive to organophosphorus-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN), while Japanese quail are less sensitive. Birds were treated with an organophosphate (OP), diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) or fenthion, and were examined for the activity of neuropathy target esterase (NTE) in their brains and spinal cords 24 h later, or for clinical signs of OPIDN for 3 weeks. Some birds were treated with OP and then with phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), a promoter of OPIDN, and some Japanese quail were treated repeatedly with each OP for one week. The activity of NTE in the brains and spinal cords of hens and quail treated with DFP alone was strongly inhibited. Hens showed characteristic hindlimb paralysis, but quail did not. Birds treated with fenthion alone showed neither reduced NTE activity nor clinical signs. PMSF markedly inhibited NTE activity in both types of birds. Hens treated with DFP plus PMSF developed stronger clinical signs than those treated with DFP alone, while fenthion plus PMSF caused no signs. Quail treated with either OP plus PMSF had no signs. Quail treated repeatedly with DFP but not with fenthion had slight clinical signs. Thus, the inhibition of NTE activity was not linked to the onset of OPIDN.