A Brief Review on the Design and Synthesis of New Antidotes in the Treatment of Organophosphorus Poisonings

Organophosphorus (OP) are highly toxic compounds commonly used as pesticides and chemical warfare nerve agents. Exposure to OP compounds can lead to death due to respiratory failure. OP compounds function to inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) which controls the transmission of nervous impulses and accumulation of acetylcholine (Ach) at cholinergic receptor sites. The inhibition of AChE by OP compounds can cause motor convulsions and epileptic seizures. There are several drugs used to treat OP poisonings, such as atropine, diazepam, and oximes. However, none of them are considered to be effective in treating OP poisonings. Recently, several new researches have been done to introduce strategies on designing oximes to treat OP poisonings. Therefore, this brief review summarizes several recent findings on the design and synthesis of new oximes that can reactivate the inhibited AChE. (author)