EA-3148 (Substance 100A) is a "V-series"

nerve agent Nerve agents, sometimes also called nerve gases, are a class of organic chemistry, organic chemicals that disrupt the mechanisms by which nerves transfer messages to organs. The disruption is caused by the blocking of acetylcholinesterase (ACh ...

related to the better-known compounds VX and VR. It was studied by both the US and Soviet chemical weapons programmes during the Cold War, and is notable as the only V-series organophosphate nerve agent specifically identified in public domain sources as having a higher absolute potency as an

acetylcholinesterase Acetylcholinesterase (HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee, HGNC symbol ACHE; EC 3.1.1.7; systematic name acetylcholine acetylhydrolase), also known as AChE, AChase or acetylhydrolase, is the primary cholinesterase in the body. It is an enzyme th ...

inhibitor than VX (around 50% more potent by weight). However, both the US and Soviet investigations of the compound concluded that despite its high potency, the physicochemical properties of the substance made it unsuitable for weaponisation, and further research was not conducted. The chemical structure of EA-3148 falls within the scope of compounds designated "Toxic chemicals" under Schedule 1 of the

Chemical Weapons Convention The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), officially the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, is an arms control treaty administered by the Organisation for ...

and so it is illegal throughout the world under

international law International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...

and may only be used for certain types of scientific and medical research.

Effects

A healthy American male soldier was given EA-3148, 1.15 μg/kg i.v..

Erythrocyte Red blood cells (RBCs), referred to as erythrocytes (, with -''cyte'' translated as 'cell' in modern usage) in academia and medical publishing, also known as red cells, erythroid cells, and rarely haematids, are the most common type of blood ce ...

AChE values dropped precipitously to 22% of normal within 15 min of dosing and to 0% at 48 h; the value recovered to 88% of normal at 72 days post-exposure. Signs of toxicity were evident within 5-8 min of treatment in two comparably dosed subjects who felt dizzy, weak, tired, sweaty, and had hands and feet that were moist. Within 2 h post-exposure, these subjects reportedly were resting, eating, and feeling fine. A U.S. Army report summarizing experience with EA-3148 noted anorexia, fatigue, poor sleep, unusual dreams, dizziness, euphoria, blurred vision, increased salivation, restlessness; decrements in a test of numerical facility in four individuals and exaggeration of a schizoid personality in one male soldier.Barry W. Wilson, Ph.D.. Low-Level Sarion Neurotoxicity and its Modulation by Pyridostigmine. University of California Davis, California.

References

{{Acetylcholine metabolism and transport modulators Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors V-series nerve agents Phosphonothioates Chemical weapons Cyclopentanes Diethylamino compounds