AChE / BChE
Definition
Acetylcholinesterase (RBC membrane bound, true cholinesterase) and butyrylcholinesterase (plasma, pseudo-cholinesterase). Both depressed in OP and carbamate exposure; plasma BChE falls first and recovers first, RBC AChE tracks long-term inhibition.
Related terms
- Aluminium Phosphide (AlP)
- Solid grain-fumigant rodenticide sold as Celphos, Quickphos, Sulfas tablets. On contact with moisture or stomach acid, releases phosphine (PH3) gas, which blocks...
- Carbamate
- Carbamic-acid ester insecticides (carbaryl, carbofuran, propoxur, aldicarb). Reversibly inhibit acetylcholinesterase by carbamylating the active-site serine; spontaneous decarbamylation makes oximes unnecessary and sometimes...
- Ellman Method
- Standard spectrophotometric cholinesterase assay. Acetylthiocholine substrate plus 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) yields a yellow 5-thio-2-nitrobenzoate anion read at 412 nm. The rate of...
- Organochlorine (OC)
- Chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides (DDT, BHC/lindane, endosulfan, dicofol, aldrin, dieldrin). Highly lipophilic, neurotoxic via voltage-gated sodium channel disruption, and persistent in fat and...
- Organophosphate (OP)
- A class of insecticides (monocrotophos, chlorpyrifos, methyl parathion, dichlorvos, phorate) that inhibit acetylcholinesterase, producing the cholinergic toxidrome. The dominant suicidal poison in...
- Pyrethroid
- Synthetic analogues of natural pyrethrins (deltamethrin, cypermethrin, permethrin, fenvalerate). Act on voltage-gated sodium channels like OC but break down quickly in mammals,...
- QuEChERS
- Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe sample-prep protocol for pesticide residues. Acetonitrile extraction, MgSO4 + NaCl partition, dispersive SPE clean-up with...
Explained in
- Insecticides and Pesticides: Organochlorines, Organophosphates and CarbamatesAcetylcholinesterase (RBC membrane bound, true cholinesterase) and butyrylcholinesterase (plasma, pseudo-cholinesterase). Both depressed in OP and carbamate ex...