Neurotoxicological investigation of pesticides in animal experiments.
Toxicology investigations of the active ingredients of 13 pesticides of technical purity belonging to the organophosphate, carbamate, chlorinated hydrocarbon, phenoxy-acetic acid, triazin groups as well as one product and a vehicle were carried out. Some of the toxicological tests, e.g., measurement of body weight, organ weight, blood analyses, morphology, BSP retention, did not provide sufficient information on the early changes caused by small doses of these agents. With the help of functional, neurotoxicological, EEG and psychophysiological methods, early signs of functional disturbances in the nervous system could be detected. Computer analysis of the EEG proved to be the most valuable method although learning deficits were also measured at low doses. In the case of organophosphate and carbamate derivatives the determination of cholinesterase activity proved to be less sensitive than the neurotoxicological measurements as an index of toxicity. The author considers neurotoxicological investigations indispensable in the early detection of toxicity, for the toxicological evaluation of new pesticides as well as for the setting of standards.
D000818:Animals; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000378:metabolism; D004569:Electroencephalography; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D009929:Organ Size; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014116:Toxicology / Q000379:methods
D010575:Pesticides; D002802:Cholinesterases