TY - JOUR T1 - Prevention of pesticide-induced neuronal dysfunction and mortality with nucleophilic poly-Oxime topical gel. JF - Sci Adv Y1 - 2018 A1 - Thorat, Ketan A1 - Pandey, Subhashini A1 - Chandrashekharappa, Sandeep A1 - Vavilthota, Nikitha A1 - Hiwale, Ankita A A1 - Shah, Purna A1 - Sreekumar, Sneha A1 - Upadhyay, Shubhangi A1 - Phuntsok, Tenzin A1 - Mahato, Manohar A1 - Mudnakudu-Nagaraju, Kiran K A1 - Sunnapu, Omprakash A1 - Vemula, Praveen K AB -

Organophosphate-based pesticides inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which plays a pivotal role in neuromuscular function. While spraying in the field, farmworkers get exposed to pesticides through the dermal route. Internalized pesticide inhibits AChE, which leads to neurotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, cognitive dysfunction, loss of endurance, and death in severe cases. Here, we present a nucleophilic pyridine-2-aldoxime-functionalized chitosan-based topical gel (-Oxime gel) that rapidly deactivates organophosphates, methyl parathion (MPT), on the skin of rats, which leads to reduced AChE inhibition in the blood and tissues. Testing the robustness of -Oxime gel, we report reduction in AChE inhibition following repeated dermal administration of MPT in the presence of -Oxime gel. Furthermore, -Oxime gel prevented MPT-induced neuromuscular dysfunction, loss of endurance, and locomotor coordination. We observe a 100% survival in rats following topical MPT administration in the presence of -Oxime gel. This prophylactic gel may therefore help farmworkers by limiting pesticide-induced toxicity and mortality.

VL - 4 IS - 10 ER -