EFFECT OF THE INSECTICIDAL CARBAMATE DERIVATIVES (CARBOFURAN, PIRIMICARB, ALDICARB) ON THE ACTIVITY OF ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE IN TISSUES FROM PREGNANT RATS AND FETUSES

Groups of Sprague-Dawley female rats (eight animals per group) were given: 0.001, 0.01, or 0.1 mg/kg of aldicarb; 0.05, 0.25, or 2.5 mg/kg of carbofuran, or 2 or 20 mg/kg of pirimicarb by gastric intubation on the 18th day of gestation. All are carbamate derivatives with insecticide properties and are used in phytopharmacy. The rats were killed 1, 5, and 24 hr after feeding. The activity of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) in blood, brain, and liver from dams and fetuses was determined by a kinetic method. Signs of central and peripheral effects due to inhibition of AchE occurred 5 min after the dams were treated. All three carbamates caused a significant decrease in the activity of AchE in most maternal and fetal tissue samples examined 1 hr after treatment. The effect lasted 24 hr after doses as small 0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg aldicarb were administered. The decrease in the activity of AchE was generally more prominent in fetuses than in dams. © 1979.