Effect of soman (pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate) on the blood levels of corticosterone and adrenocorticotropin in mice

Abstract

Mice were poisoned by an extremely toxic organophosphate anticholinesterase soman (pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate), 50 or 100 μg/kg at 1000, and the serum concentrations of corticosterone were determined fluorometrically at 3-h intervals for at least 24 h. The lower soman dose (50 μg/kg) produced a modest increase in serum corticosterone concentrations but by 24 h the levels were not significantly different from control. Following the higher soman dose (100 μg/kg) the serum corticosterone levels were elevated significantly (p < 0.05), for at least 27 h. However, ACTH concentrations were not elevated. It is possible that the elevated levels of corticosterone were due to a reduced metabolism and excretion of corticosterone resulting from the intense hypothermia, following soman poisoning which may change cardiac output and organ (liver and kidney) perfusion and not due to an enhanced release from the adrenal gland.