Role of carboxylesterase in soman poisoning illustrated indirectly by histochemistry and image-analyzer technique

By the technique of cholinesterase (ChE) histochemistry combined with quantitative image-analyzer, it was found that the ChE-inhibited area in sections of mouse liver was increased and the dose of soman (methyl pinacolyl phosphonofluridate) required to intoxicate mice was increased. Sodium Phenobarbital as a carboxylesterase (CE) activator limited the ChE-inhibited area induced by soman; while TOCP (tri-O-cresyl phosphate) as an irreversible CE inhibitor extended the ChE-inhibited area induced by soman. The indirect evidence that CE in mouse liver had a detoxicating action to soman poisoning was consistent with the previous reports by Sterri and Clement.