A kymographic method for the evaluation of the effects of organophosphorus poisoning on the masticatory muscles

Abstract

The measurements of cholinesterase (ChE) activity are widely used to evaluate of organophosphorus poisoning, but there are no reports about the effects of organophosphorus compounds on the function of the masticatory muscles.
I recorded the patterns of jaw jerk reflex (J.J.R.) in normal rats with a kymograph during the growth period and compared the changes of pattern in rats administered fenitrothion with the normal patterns. The significance of these findings was confirmed by their relation to ChE activity.
The results were as follows:
1) I was able to evaluate the function of masticatory muscles by the number of waves on the kymogram of the J.J.R..
2) Fenitrothion caused a decrease in the number of waves and disrupted the wave form.
3) There was significant correlation was observed between the number of waves and the ChE activity in red cells (r=0.72) and plasma (r=0.36) 1-1.5 hours after administration of fenitrothion.