Cyclohexylmethylphosphonofluoridate (cyclosarin) is a highly toxic organophosphate, which was shown to be rather resistant to conventional oxime therapy. To give more insight into the inhibition, reactivation and aging kinetics, human acetyl-(AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) were inhibited by cyclosarin (k2 of 7.4 and 3.8 x 10(8) M(-1) min(-1), respectively; pH 7.4, 37 degrees C) and reactivated with obidoxime, pralidoxime and three experimental oximes. The new oxime HLö 7 (1-[[[4-aminocarbonyl)-pyridinio]-methoxy]-methyl]-2,4-bis-[ (hydroxyimino)methyl] pyridinium dimethanesulphonate) was shown to be superior to the other oximes. At oxime concentrations anticipated to be relevant in humans, obidoxime and pralidoxime were extremely weak reactivators of AChE. Aging velocity of BChE was almost fourfold higher compared to AChE (ka of 0.32 h(-1) and 0.08 h(-1), respectively). A substantial spontaneous reactivation was observed with AChE. These results support previous in vivo findings that obidoxime and pralidoxime are insufficient antidotes in cyclosarin poisoning. By contrast, HLö 7 was shown to be an extremely potent reactivator of human AChE and BChE, which supports its position as a broad-spectrum oxime.