Selective promotion by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride of peripheral and spinal cord neuropathies initiated by diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate in the hen

This paper reports studies in hens showing that diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP) neuropathy is promoted by PMSF when initiated either in central (spinal cord) or peripheral nervous system. Moreover, the critical site for promotion is in peripheral nerve axons rather than in their cell bodies. Selective promotion in peripheral nerves was achieved by giving PMSF into sciatic artery monolaterally (7 mg/kg) to birds where neuropathy was initiated by DFP, either systematically (0.3 mg/kg s.c.) or intra-arterially (0.04 mg/kg in the same artery). Birds developed monolateral neuropathy in the leg where PMSF was delivered. Promotion of spinal cord neuropathy was achieved by giving PMSF (120 mg/kg s.c.) to birds where neuropathy was initiated selectively in spinal cord. This was obtained by protecting peripheral axons with intra-arterial bilateral injections of PMSF (0.55 x 2 mg/kg) followed by DFP (0.3, 0.4 or 0.7 mg/kg s.c.). The resulting syndrome was characterized by spastic ataxia.