Acute Effects of Insecticides and their Combinations on the Central Nervous Activity in Rats

Zsuzsanna Lengyel, Zita Fazakas, Anita Lukács, and Andrea Szabó

Department of Public Health, University of Szeged Faculty of Medicine, Szeged, Hungary

Corresponding author: Zsuzsanna Lengyel
    Department of Public Health
    University of Szeged Faculty of Medicine
    Dóm tér 10
    H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
    Telephone: +36-62-545-119
    Fax number: +36-62-545-120
    E-mail: lengyelzs@puhe.szote.u-szeged.hu

CEJOEM 2005, Vol.11. No.4.: 309–317


Key words:
Insecticide, cortical activity, evoked potential, rat


Abstract:
Most of the modern insecticides are neurotoxic substances. The use of various pesticides potentially results in combined exposure. In this study, an organophosphate (dimethoate), a carbamate (propoxur), a pyrethroid (cypemethrine) and a formamidine-type insecticide (amitraz) was given to young adult male Wistar rats in acute oral application, in 1/5 LD50 dose alone or in triple and quadruple combinations. After 24 hours, spontaneous and stimulus-evoked cortical activity was recorded. All treatments caused a shift of the spectrum of the spontaneous cortical activity, but it was variable by cortical area and by agent. The effect of the combinations indicated non-additive interactions. In the cortical evoked responses, dimethoate and its combinations induced the strongest change in the latency, while amitraz and its combinations, in the duration of the response. The results, first of all those obtained with combined treatment, emphasize the need for further investigation of effects even in case of well-known insecticide agents.


Received: 5 December 2005
Accepted: 21 April 2006

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