Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Bulletin of the World Health Organization logoLink to Bulletin of the World Health Organization
. 1987;65(2):227–232.

Laboratory and field microassay of cholinesterases in whole blood, plasma, and erythrocytes

W G Brogdon
PMCID: PMC2490839  PMID: 3496988

Abstract

A straightforward method is described for determination of the activities of erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase and plasma cholinesterase from single 10-μl samples of highly diluted whole blood. The procedure is a spectrophotometric microassay adapted for use with microtitration plates. The use of an enzyme immunoassay reader facilitates the rapid analysis of large numbers of samples. An inexpensive adaptation of the method was also devised that requires no instrumentation and was evaluated under field conditions in Haiti. Either the field or laboratory versions of the method can accurately determine increments of 10% or less in the level of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase or cholinesterase in whole blood, plasma, or erythrocytes.

Full text

PDF
227

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Brogdon W. G., Dickinson C. M. A microassay system for measuring esterase activity and protein concentration in small samples and in high-pressure liquid chromatography eluate fractions. Anal Biochem. 1983 Jun;131(2):499–503. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(83)90204-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Das P. K. On genetically determined human serum cholinesterases. Enzyme. 1976;21(3):253–274. doi: 10.1159/000458866. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Fontaine R. E., Pull J. H., Payne D., Pradhan G. D., Joshi G. P., Pearson J. A., Thymakis M. K., Camacho M. E. Evaluation of fenitrothion for the control of malaria. Bull World Health Organ. 1978;56(3):445–452. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. GARRY P. J., ROUTH J. I. A MICRO METHOD FOR SERUM CHOLINESTERASE. Clin Chem. 1965 Feb;11:91–96. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gaines T. B. Acute toxicity of pesticides. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1969 May;14(3):515–534. doi: 10.1016/0041-008x(69)90013-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Howard J. K., East N. J., Chaney J. L. Plasma cholinesterase activity in early pregnancy. Arch Environ Health. 1978 Sep-Oct;33(5):277–279. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1978.10667347. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lewis P. J., Lowing R. K., Gompertz D. Automated discrete kinetic method for erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase and plasma cholinesterase. Clin Chem. 1981 Jun;27(6):926–929. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Namba T. Cholinesterase inhibition by organophosphorus compounds and its clinical effects. Bull World Health Organ. 1971;44(1-3):289–307. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Pant C. P., Mathis H. L., Nelson M. J., Phanthumachinda B. A large-scale field trial of ultra-low-volume fenitrothion applied by a portable mist blower for the control of Aedes aegypti. Bull World Health Organ. 1974;51(4):409–415. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pant C. P., Nelson M. J., Mathis H. L. Sequential application of ultra-low-volume ground aerosols of fenitrothion for sustained control of Aedes aegypti. Bull World Health Organ. 1973;48(4):455–459. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Popendorf W. J., Leffingwell J. T. Regulating OP pesticide residues for farmworker protection. Residue Rev. 1982;82:125–201. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4612-5709-7_3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Propert D. N., Brackenridge C. J. The relation of sex, age, smoking status, birth rank and parental ages to pseudocholinesterase activity and phenotypes in a sample of Australian Caucasian adults. Hum Genet. 1976 May 19;32(2):181–188. doi: 10.1007/BF00291501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Siders D. B., Batsakis J. G., Stiles D. E. Serum cholinesterase activity. A colorimetric microssay and some clinical correlations. Am J Clin Pathol. 1968 Sep;50(3):344–350. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/50.3.344. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Warren M., Ruebush T. K., 2nd, Hobbs J. H., Hippolyte R., Miller S. Safety measures associated with the use of organophosphate insecticides in the Haitian malaria control programme. Bull World Health Organ. 1985;63(2):345–351. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Warren M., Spencer H. C., Churchill F. C., Francois V. J., Hippolyte R., Staiger M. A. Assessment of exposure to organophosphate insecticides during spraying in Haiti: monitoring of urinary metabolites and blood cholinesterase levels. Bull World Health Organ. 1985;63(2):353–360. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Wilhelm K. Determination of human plasma cholinesterase activity by adapted Ellman's method. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol. 1968;19(2):199–207. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Bulletin of the World Health Organization are provided here courtesy of World Health Organization

RESOURCES