Effects of sarin-like organophosphorous agent, bis(isopropyl metyl) phosphonate (BIMP) on PC12 cells and cultured glial cells

Sarin-like organophophorous agent, bis(isopropyl metyl) phosphonate (BIMP), showed cytotoxic effects on cultured PC12 cells, rat astrocytes and microglia. BIMP induced cell loss of both differentiated and undifferentiated PC12 cells at a concentration of as low as 15μM, assessed by a viability assay using WST-8, a kind of tetrazolium salt, and at 150μM, most of cultured PC12 cells died within 24 hours. BIMP also affected cell viability and morphology of cultured microglia at 150μM. Although 150μM BIMP seemed to impair cell viability of astrocyte under the microscopic examination and MTT assay, reduction of WST-8 was increased by BIMP after 24-h incubation. BIMP also induced a significant morphological change of astrocyte from protoplasmic type to fibrous type.