PREVENTIVE EFFECTS OF ZEOLITE IN SWERER-R AT INTOXICATION WITH VX-SUBSTANCE

In the present paper the effect of zeolite tuff (61% clinoptilolite) w as investigated on cholinesterase activity in brain, liver, spleen, fe moral muscle, heart, stomach, duodenum, colon and erythrocytes in sewe r-rats after peroral intoxication with VX substance (65.5 mug/kg). Fig . 1 shows the ChE activity in the tissues and erythrocytes in the anim als of control group and in the group of animals after intoxication wi th VX substance. The highest activity in the control group was found i n brain and duodenum. The enzyme activity in the femoral muscle had th e lowest values. A significant decrease in the ChE activity (P < 0.001 or P < 0.01) occurred in all the investigated samples in the group of animals intoxicated with the VX substance. The highest enzyme inhibit ion was observed in erythrocytes (97.9%), stomach (97.9%), brain (95.4 %) and liver (94.7%) if compared with the control group. The relativel y lowest inhibition was found out in duodenum and colon. In the group administered zeolite before intoxication (1.0 g/kg five minutes before intoxication) the ChE activity was significantly higher in almost all investigated samples than in the group without zeolite (P < 0.001 or P < 0.01) - Fig. 2. The duodenum is an exception, in which the ChE act ivity in the zeolite group was lower than in the zeolite-free group (P < 0.001), as well as the colon, in which there were no significant di fferences in the activity between the groups. The lowest resorption ra te from the gastrointestinal tract, weaker clinical sips of intoxicati on, longer time span for the onset of specific therapy are the facts t hat create conditions for inclusion of natural zeolite in the complex of rational prevention and therapy of organophosphate poisonings.