Transfer of leptophos in hen eggs and tissues of embryonic rats.

To estimate the delayed neurotoxic effect of OPs on the next generation, we tried two examinations; one was on the distribution of leptophos in tissues and eggs of hens which are highly susceptible to the delayed neurotoxic effect of OPs but have no placenta, and the other was on the concentration of OPs in tissues of both pregnant and embryonic rats which are not susceptible to the delayed neurotoxic effect but have placenta, after leptophos was administered to the mother in both experiments. First, organophosphorus compound-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN) was checked in 4 hens and the concentration of leptophos was determined in the other 16 hens after 20 adult laying hens were given 30 mg/kg leptophos (iv), a neurotoxic organophosphate. Three out of 4 hens treated with leptophos showed OPIDN. The concentration of leptophos decreased sharply in the blood, liver, brain and spinal cord from 24 to 48 hr after leptophos administration, but clearance of leptophos was relatively slow in the ovary. Leptophos in laid egg yolk was detected every day for 10 days, and the highest concentration of leptophos in egg yolk was observed on the 6th day after administration to hens. Secondly, in order to investigate the transfer of leptophos to the embryo through the placenta, we divided the thirty-two pregnant rats into 2 groups. The first group received 10 mg/kg leptophos intraperitoneally on the 17th day of pregnancy and the second received 20 mg/kg leptophos on the same day. The time-course of leptophos concentration in the tissues of pregnant and embryonic rats was checked, and the correlation between findings in the pregnant rats and the embryos was determined. The time-course of leptophos concentration in the blood, liver, brain and placenta of the rats was similar to that in hens. Leptophos concentration in the liver and brain of the embryos was equal to approximately 60% of leptophos concentration in each tissue of the pregnant rats, and the concentration of leptophos in the liver and brain of embryonic rats correlated with that in the blood and placenta of pregnant rats (p < 0.01). In both groups treated with 10 and 20 mg/kg leptophos, the concentrations of leptophos in the liver and brain of embryos were lower than that of pregnant rats in the early period after dosing, but the concentrations in embryos were inversely higher than those in pregnant rats in the latter period (48 hr). Compared with the biological half-lives of leptophos in the liver and brain of pregnant rats, these parameters in embryonic rats were 1.58 and 1.87 times, respectively. These results indicate that some of the fat-soluble organophosphorus compounds readily pass through the blood-placenta barrier into the embryos and accumulate there. Therefore, the neurobehavioral development of F1 rats exposed to some organophosphorus compounds through the placenta of pregnant rats should be further examined.

Delayed neurotoxicity and toxicokinetics of leptophos in hens given repeatedly by low-dose intravenous injections.

The repeated intravenous injections (RIVInj) of 5 mg/kg/day leptophos [O-(4-bromo-2, 5-dichlorophenyl) O-methyl phenylphosphonothioate] for 3 consecutive days caused delayed ataxia in 4 out of 9 hens (44.4%). And one out of 9 hens (11.1%) given RIVInj of 3 mg/kg leptophos for 5 days was affected with ataxia. Twenty hens, however, which received a single intravenous injection (SIVInj) of 15 mg/kg leptophos did not exhibit any delayed neuropathic signs at all. Thus, delayed neurotoxicity was increased by the subdividing RIVInj of the critical dose which was shown in the SIVInj of leptophos. The leptophos concentration in plasma and liver decreased very rapidly after finish of either SIVInj or RIVInj. Although no significant differences were observed in the biological half life of leptophos in plasma by different dosages, the mean level of leptophos decreased significantly with frequency of injections. On the contrary, the evident accumulation of leptophos was observed in only sciatic nerve with RIVInj. Leg muscle maintained relatively high level of leptophos after the last injection. These results suggest that leptophos seems to transfer from blood to affinitive tissues such as sciatic nerve or leg muscles and to accumulate there easily in initial stage after repeated iv injections, and that this causes the enhancement of neuropathy with repeated administrations of divided critical dose of leptophos in both iv and oral administration.

[Pharmacokinetics of the organophosphorous insecticide leptophos in the hen].

In an attempt to carry out a pharmacokinetic study of the organophosphorous insecticide leptophos, which is known to produce delayed neurotoxicity (DNT), a practical method for the analysis of leptophos in tissue samples has been developed by utilizing high-performance liquid chromatography. Using this method, the pharmacokinetics of intravenously administered leptophos in hens were investigated. The following results were obtained: 1. The proposed method was suitable for the analysis of leptophos in biological tissues. The detection limit was 0.5 ng and the recovery rate was over 90%. 2. The disappearance rate of leptophos in hens after administration was 70% at 6 hours and 93% at 96 hours. The half-lives calculated bi-exponentially were 1.37 hours for the early phase and 45.53 hours for the late phase. Since the leptophos detected in excreta was only 0.1% of the administered dose, its disappearance from the hen's body was due to its metabolization in the hen's tissue. 3. The half-lives of leptophos in blood calculated bi-exponentially were 0.50 and 7.57 hours. 4. The decline patterns of leptophos in tissue were considerably different from each other. While leptophos concentrations in adipose tissue and sciatic nerves decreased mono-exponentially, leptophos in other tissues (liver, kidney, heart muscle, leg muscle, brain and spinal cord) decreased bi-exponentially. The distribution of leptophos from blood to tissue seemed to be very rapid; however, redistribution from tissue to blood was extremely limited. 5. The long half-life of leptophos in sciatic nerves was especially noteworthy considering the manifestation of DNT. 6. The short half-life of leptophos in liver indicated the predominant role of liver in leptophos metabolism. 7. The results of this study do not coincide with the hypothesis that the metabolism of leptophos in species susceptible to DNT such as hens is slower than in non-susceptible species such as rats and mice. That is, in spite of the fact that this study was carried out under experimental conditions in which nerve damage would normally be manifested, leptophos was metabolized rapidly.