Soman and VX: Different effect on cellular signalling

The purpose of our study was to examine the early expression of p21 and activated transcription factors atf-2,creb,elk-1,p53 after soman and vx poisoning,to throw light on the pathogenetic mechanism of nerve agent-induced non-specific effects. male wistar rats were i.m. poisoned by soman (60 μg.kg-1 - 70% ld50) or vx (8 μg.kg-1 - 70% ld50). samples were taken 4,24,and 72 hours after poisoning,immunohistochemically stained and phospho-atf-2thr-69/71,phospho-crebser-133,phospho-elk-1ser-383,phospho-p53ser-15,and protein p21 expressions were measured using computer image analysis in apical and cryptal enterocytes of the colon transversum. after soman poisoning,we observed an increased phospho-creb in cryptal enterocytes 4,24,and 72 h after poisoning,while apical enterocytes expressed increased phospho-creb only 72 h after intoxication. phospho-elk-1 significantly dropped 4 and 24 h after soman poisoning in the cryptal compartment. activation of atf-2 and p53 and expression of p21 were not changed 4,24,and 72 h after soman poisoning. vx poisoning did not change any of measured parameters. soman and vx showed a different effect on cellular signalling. soman seems to cause additional effects,which are not related to the basic mechanism of nerve agent-induced toxicity and which temporarily suppress promitotic pathways of proliferating cells and persist in cells during the differentiation process. © journal of applied biomedicine.