title: Developmental neurotoxicological effects of lead and dimethoate in animal experiments.
abstract: Neurophysiological changes caused by parallel treatment with inorganic lead and dimethoate (a combination of possible health risk at population level) were investigated in different phases of the ontogenesis. Wistar rats were treated by gavage with lead (80.0 or 320.0 mg/kg); with dimethoate (7.0 or 28.0 mg/kg), or with their combination on days 5-15 of pregnancy, days 5-15 of pregnancy + days 2-28 of lactation (females of P generation), or days 5-15 of pregnancy + days 2-28 of lactation (females of P generation) + 8 weeks after weaning (males of F1 generation). Electrophysiological parameters (electrocorticogram, cortical evoked potentials) of the F1 male rats in the above groups were investigated at the age of 12 weeks. Both spontaneous and evoked electrophysiological phenomena showed dose-, treatment- and combination-dependent changes (e.g. significantly decreased mean amplitude and increased frequency of the electrocorticogram, lengthened latency and duration of the somatosensory, visual and auditory evoked potentials) which seemed to be more pronounced in the groups treated with the combination of lead and dimethoate than in the groups given lead or dimethoate alone. The results indicate that a simultaneous, pre- and postnatal exposure to the neurotoxicants, lead and dimethoate, considerably altered the functioning of the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical University, WHO Collaborating Centre for Chemical Safety, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nagymajtényi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papp
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dési
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000378:metabolism; D004117:Dimethoate / Q000633:toxicity*; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D009420:Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000201:enzymology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D007854:Lead; D002802:Cholinesterases; D004117:Dimethoate