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Male albino Wistar rats were once or repeatedly exposed to three various low concentrations of sarin for 60 min. in the inhalation chamber. The clinical status of control as well as sarin-poisoned rats was tested 3 months after exposure to sarin using biochemical, haematological, neurophysiological, behavioural and immunotoxicological methods. While biochemical and haematological parameters, including the activities of cholinesterases in erythrocytes, plasma and various organs (brain, diaphragm), did not differ from the control values regardless of the sarin concentration used, few signs of sarin-induced neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity in sarin-poisoned rats were demonstrated. This was especially true when the single exposure of rats to non-convulsive symptomatic concentration and repeated exposure of rats to clinically asymptomatic concentration of sarin was used. In rats repeatedly poisoned with clinically asymptomatic concentrations of sarin, the alteration of the gait characterized by ataxia, the increase in the stereotyped behaviour, the increase in the excitability of the central nervous system following the administration of the convulsive drug pentamethylenetetrazol were observed. In rats poisoned with non-convulsive symptomatic concentration of sarin, the subtle supression of spontaneous, as well as lipopolysaccharides-stimulated, proliferation of spleen lymphocytes and the bactericidal activity of peritoneal macrophages was primarily observed besides the signs of neurotoxicity. Our findings confirm that both non-convulsive symptomatic and clinically asymptomatic concentrations of sarin can only cause very few, subtle long-term signs of neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity in sarin-poisoned rats when the rats were exposed to asymptomatic sarin concentrations repeatedly.

1. Long term effects of low doses of highly toxic organophosphorus agent sarin on behavioral and neurophysiological functions were studied in rats exposed to sarin by inhalation. The toxic effects of sarin were monitored using a functional observational battery (FOB), an automatic measurement of motor activity and a test of excitability of central nervous system at 3, 6 and 12 months following sarin exposure. 2. The results indicate that sarin at symptomatic as well as asymptomatic doses (level 2 and 3) is able to induce some neurotoxic effects (a decrease in activity and mobility, an alteration of gait, an increase in stereotyped behavior) including an increase in the excitability of central nervous system (an increase in convulsive activity following the administration of pentamethylenetetrazole) in rats at 3 months following inhalation exposure. Some sings of increased excitability were also observed in sarin-exposed rats following 6 or 12 months (an increase in exploratory activity, body temperature and a hindlimb grip strength at 6 months following exposure to sarin at asymptomatic doses, an increase in tail-pinch response at 12 months following exposure to sarin at symptomatic doses). 3. Therefore, nerve agents such as sarin seem to be harmful not only at high, clinically symptomatic doses but also at low, clinically asymptomatic doses because of long term manifestation of alteration of neurophysiological functions in sarin-exposed rats without disruption of cholinergic nervous system.

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To study the influence of low-level sarin exposure on cognitive functions, male albino Wistar rats were exposed to three various low concentrations of sarin (LEVEL 1–3) for 60 minutes in the inhalation chamber. Testing of cognitive functions was carried out using the T-maze evaluating learning and spatial memory. The behavior of sarin-exposed rats in the T-maze was tested several times within five weeks following sarin inhalation exposure to look for any cognitive impairments. The alteration of cognition was evaluated by using a method studying memory elicitation in response to appetitive motivation in a multiple T-maze. 2. Statistically significant, short-term deficiency in the T-maze performance was observed in rats exposed to symptomatic (LEVEL 3) as well as clinically asymptomatic concentration (LEVEL 2) of sarin. The repeated exposure of rats to clinically asymptomatic dose of sarin (LEVEL 2R) did not change the effect of lowlevel sarin exposure on spatial memory compared to the single exposure to the same dose of sarin. 3. Thus, sarin is able to influence the cognitive functions (e.g. spatial memory) even at low doses that do not cause clinically manifested intoxication following the inhalation exposure. Nevetheless, the alteration of spatial memory lasts for a short time only, in contrast with the severe sarin poisoning.