Cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenases are known to activate phosphorothionate insecticides to their oxon (phosphate) analogs by oxidative desulfuration. These activations produced potent anticholinesterases, decreasing the I50 values to rat brain acetylcholinesterase almost 1000-fold (from the 10(-5) M range to the 10(-8) M range). Since the usual cause of death in mammals from organophosphorus insecticide poisoning is respiratory failure resulting, in part, from a failure of the respiratory control center of the brain, we investigated the ability of rat brain to activate and subsequently degrade two phosphorothionate insecticides, parathion (diethyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphorothioate) and EPN (ethyl 4-nitrophenyl phenylphosphonothioate). Microsomes from specific regions (cerebral cortex, corpus striatum, cerebellum, and medulla/pons) of the brains of male and female rats and from liver were incubated with the phosphorothionate and an NADPH-generating system. Oxon production was quantified indirectly by the amount of inhibition resulting in an exogenous source of acetylcholinesterase added to the incubation mixture as an oxon trap. The microsomal activation specific activity was low for brain when compared to liver [0.23 to 0.44 and 5.1 to 12.0 nmol.min-1.(g tissue)-1 respectively]. The mitochondrial fraction of the brain possessed an activation activity for parathion similar to that of microsomes [about 0.35 nmol.min-1.(g tissue)-1 for each fraction], but mitochondrial activity was slightly greater than microsomal activity for EPN activation [0.53 to 0.58 and 0.23 to 0.47 nmole.min-1.(g tissue)-1]. Whole homogenates were tested for their ability to degrade paraoxon and EPN-oxon (ethyl 4-nitrophenyl phenylphosphonate), quantitated by 4-nitrophenol production. Specific activity for oxon degradation in liver was greater than that in brain [31 to 74 and 1.1 to 10.7 nmole.min-1.(g tissue)-1 respectively]. Overall, the brain and liver had about 1.5- to 12-fold higher specific activities for degradation than activation depending on the compound used. These findings demonstrate that the brain possesses both phosphorothionate activation and oxon degradation abilities, both of which may be significant during exposures to organophosphorus insecticides.