HI-6 Therapy and the acute phase response in the rat

The propensity of therapeutic doses of HI-6 (50 mg/kg) in combination with atropine sulphate (17 mg/kg), antidotes used to treat organophosphate poisoning, to induce the acute phase response (APR) in the laboratory rat was examined. A single intraperitoneal injection of HI-6, either alone or with atropine, caused a rapid doubling of the plasma coticosterone concentration. However, this increase was short-lived in comparison with corticosterone kinetics during the typical, turpentine-induced APR. The elevated glucocorticosteroid concentration did not affect acute phase protein (APP) gene transcription or mRNA and protein synthesis in the livers of oxime/atropine-treated rats. On the basis of these findings, we concluded that the administered doses of HI-6 and atropine did not induce the generalised, nonspecific APR.