title: Neurotoxic effects of disulfiram on autonomic nervous system in rat.
abstract: Two groups of male Wistar rats weighing about 140 (WI) and 200 g (WII) and a group of Sprague-Dawley (S.D.) rats (140 g) received oral disulfiram 220-580 mg/kg (DSF) daily for one or three weeks. Isolated ilea of both control and treated rats showed similar responses to acetylcholine, but the responses to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were decreased after one and three weeks' treatment in the WI and SD rats. Pretreatment with reserpine intensified this effect in treated WI rats. A distinct decrease in the histochemical reactivity for the acetylcholinesterase and the non-specific cholinesterase was observed in the nerve plexuses of the gut wall indicating a DSF-induced nerve damage. Autonomic (cholinergic) nerves seemed thus to be affected by DSF. The two rats strains studied did not differ in their responses to 5-HT.
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004221:Disulfiram / Q000633:toxicity*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000294:innervation; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D000109:Acetylcholine; D004221:Disulfiram