The features of organophosphate-induced injuries in the respiratory and gastro-intestinal tracts were investigated. The rats were poisoned i. m. with highly toxic organophosphate soman at 48 μg/kg (0.8 LD₅₀) or organophosphorus insecticide mevinphos at 0.4 mg/kg (0.8 LD₅₀). On the third or fifth day following the exposure to soman or mevinphos, the rats were killed using cervical dislocation and the apoptotic changes in stomachs, bronchi and lungs were demonstrated using immunochemical detection of apoptotic cells with the M30 Cytodeath kit. While very few apoptotic cells in the stomach were observed regardless of the type of organophosphorus compound and the time following the exposure, the detection of apoptotic cells in the bronchi and lungs showed a significant increase in their numbers in bronchi in the case of mevinphos exposure and in bronchi as well as lungs in the case of soman exposure compared to the control values. Therefore, not only necrotic but also apoptotic injury can be present in the organism poisoned with high doses of organophosphorus compounds.

Keywords: Soman; Mevinphos; Apoptosis; Stomach; Lungs; Bronchi; Rat