USING NEUROBLASTOMA CELL-LINES TO ADDRESS DIFFERENTIAL SPECIFICITY TO ORGANOPHOSPHATES

1. Organophosphates can cause acute toxicity, which follows inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), or delayed neuropathy, which follows inhibition of neuropathy target esterase (NTE). 2. Human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells contain AChE and NTE. 3. Organophosphates actively able to inhibit AChE in animal models inhibited AChE in neuroblastoma cells. 4. Inhibition of NTE in neuroblastoma cells could identify active organophosphates capable of causing delayed neuropathy in animal models and distinguish these organophosphates from those that do not cause delayed neuropathy in animal models.