The therapeutic effects of 2,3-butanedione monoxime and atropine in severe dichlorvos intoxication in buffalo calves

2,3-Butanedione monoxime and atropine alone or in combination were evaluated for their ability to alleviate the toxicity and to reverse the biochemical changes induced by dichlorvos in the blood of buffalo calves. Treatment with 2,3-butanedione monoxime plus atropine 30 min after oral administration of dichlorvos (160 mg/kg) eliminated the apparent toxic signs within 10–15 min, completely prevented lethality, and reversed the dichlorvos-induced alterations in the concentrations of serum carboxylesterase, total plasma proteins, blood glucose and plasma cholinesterase within 2, 4, 12 and 168 h, respectively. Treatment with either 2,3-butanedione monoxime or atropine alone was less effective but the former was the more potent of the two in counteracting the biochemical effects of dichlorvos. These antidotal studies suggest that 2,3-butanedione monoxime in conjunction with atropine would provide effective therapy against severe dichlorvos intoxication in buffalo.