A histochemical study of changes observed in the mouse diaphragm after organophosphate poisoning

• Published in: Human & experimental toxicology Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 9
• Main Authors: Bright, J E, Inns, R H, Tuckwell, N J, Griffiths, G D, Marrs, T C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-01-1991
• Subjects: Acetylcholinesterase - drug effects; Acid Phosphatase - drug effects; Adenosine Triphosphatases - drug effects; Animals; Calcium - metabolism; Collagen - drug effects; Diaphragm - drug effects; Histocytochemistry; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Male; Mice; Muscles - drug effects; Muscles - metabolism; Muscles - pathology; Sarin - poisoning; Staining and Labeling - methods
• ISSN: 0960-3271
• DOI: 10.1177/096032719101000102

A sublethal dose of sarin (GB, isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate) was administered to mice. The animals were killed up to 28 d after dosing and frozen sections were made of the excised diaphragms which were stained using haematoxylin and eosin and a modified Gomori trichrome method. Muscle fibre degeneration and mononuclear infiltration were seen, notably at 24 h and 3 d. A number of histochemical procedures were carried out, including the GBHA procedure for ionized calcium. Calcium accumulation, seen at 4 h, was the earliest abnormality observed. All changes were rapidly regressing by 5 d and histological appearances were normal by 14 d. It was concluded that sarin produced myopathic changes preceded by calcium accumulation.