EFFECT OF N-METYLCARBAMATE PESTICIDE BENDIOCARB ON CATTLE LYMPHOCYTES AFTER IN VITRO EXPOSURE

Bendiocarb is a carbamate broad-spectrum insecticide used to control disease vectors such as mosquitoes and flies, as well as household and agricultural pests. Nowadays, only few papers reporting cytogenetic or possible genotoxic effect of this insecticide on mammalian cells are available. In the present study 24-hour exposure to bendiocarbamate at concentrations ranging from 20 to 160 mu g/ml was used for investigation of unstable chromosomal aberrations (CA), sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and stable chromosomal aberration induction in cultured bovine peripheral lymphocytes. The slight but no significant increase of chromatide breaks frequency was observed after the exposure of lymphocytes to 80 mu g/ml of bendiocarb. At the highest concentration added to the cell cultures (160 mu g/ml) mitotic index decrease was shown in both donors (p < 0.05; p < 0.01). Both statistically significant elevation of SCEs (p < 0.05) and a reduction of proliferative indices (PI) (p < 0.01) were shown at a dose of 80 mu g/ml. By means of two fluorescent-labelled whole chromosome-painting probes, stable aberrations such as bovine chromosome 1 and 5 translocation as well as numerical aberrations (polyploidies, heteroploidies) were visualised under fluorescent microscope in some examined metaphases.