title: Cholinesterase-inhibiting and genotoxic effects of acute carbofuran intoxication in man: a case report.
abstract: Carbofuran belongs to the group of N-methylcarbamate insecticides used for the control of soil-dwelling and foliar-feeding insects in various crops; its consumption totals approximately 20,000 tonnes per year. Although the neurological effects on human beings have been well documented, little is known on its impact on the genome. A 38-year-old, healthy male worker employed in a carbofuran production facility accidentally inhaled the dust of the active ingredient carbofuran. Thirty minutes later, he experienced weakness, fatigue, perspiration, breathing difficulties, cephalalgia, disorientation, abdominal pain and vomiting. Blood samples were taken to measure cholinesterase activity, and to perform the alkaline comet assay and micronucleus assay combined with pancentromeric probes. Analyses were repeated 72 hr after intoxication and compared with the results obtained from regular monitoring conducted 10 days prior to the accident. Cholinesterase activity showed the highest correlation with the number of apoptotic cells, comet assay tail length, and number of long-tailed nuclei, suggesting that these are the genomic end-points primarily affected by carbofuran intake. Only a weak correlation was detected for the total number of micronuclei, centromere-containing micronuclei and nuclear buds. Since those end-points increased significantly 72 hr after the accident, they could be considered as late biomarkers of the effects of carbofuran intoxication. The results of this report suggest that, in the interests of higher standards in risk assessment and health hazard protection, periodical medical examination of carbamate-exposed populations should include genotoxicity testing in addition to the assessment of cholinesterase activity.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Davor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zeljezic
authors.forename: Ana Lucic
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Vrdoljak
authors.forename: Nevenka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kopjar
authors.forename: Bozica
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Radic
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milkovic Kraus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015415:Biomarkers; D002235:Carbofuran / Q000633:toxicity*; D002503:Centromere / Q000187:drug effects; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D020552:Comet Assay; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007306:Insecticides; D002235:Carbofuran