Role of oxidative stress and apoptosis in acute organophosphorus intoxicated patients

Abstract EN

Background Organ phosphorus (OP) compounds are the most widely used insecticides that cause poisoning after accidental, occupational or suicidal exposure. Aim: the aim of the present work is studying the effect of acute organ phosphorus toxicity on the biomarkers of oxidative stress and apoptosis.

The study was carried out on 30 subjects including 20 patients diagnosed as suffering from acute OP poisoning and 10 healthy control subjects.

Patients were subjected to thorough history taking and clinical examination.

Venous blood samples were withdrawn from each subject in the study for the biochemical assay of true and pseudo cholinesterase activities, glutathione level (GSH).

Malonyldialdehyde (MDA), catalase activity and caspase 3 activity Results: the study revealed that true and pseudo cholinesterase activities reduced glutathione level and catalase activities were significantly decreased in acute OP toxicity.

Significant decrease in While MDA levels and caspase 3 activity were significantly increased.

On correlating all studied biomarkers with each other, significant positive correlation was noticed between true and pseudo cholinesterase activities but both activities showed significant inverse correlation with caspase-3 activity and the MDA level.

On the other hand, the glutathione level and catalase activity were positively correlated to both types of cholinesterase activities.

Cascade 3 activity was inversely correlated with catalase and glutathione while there was direct positive correlation between it and MDA. Conclusion : the study concluded that the toxicity of OP compounds might be mediated through oxidative stress induced capsized dependent apoptosis.

The study recommended further trials on the inhibition of this specific pathway that might provide a useful strategy to minimize organophosphate-induced toxicity.