title: Exhumation of Wistar rats experimentally exposed to the carbamate pesticides aldicarb and carbofuran: A pathological and toxicological study.
abstract: Exhumation is required for the investigation of suspicions deaths when a body is buried and is usually performed under court order. Exhumation of animals is not a routine practice in forensic pathology. In this study, 30 male 70-day-old Wistar rats were experimentally exposed to the carbamate pesticides aldicarb and carbofuran. Toxicological, macroscopic and microscopic examinations were performed. Groups of 3 animals (2 exposed and 1 control) were evaluated at 24h, 3days, 5days, 7days and 10days post-mortem. In histopathological examination, the brain, liver, lungs and kidneys were assessed, and for toxicological analysis, the gastric contents, liver, vitreous humor, skeletal muscle and larvae (when available) were collected. The pesticides were detected by HPLC and quantified in the analyzed matrices, and a possible delay in tissue putrefaction due to the pesticides was observed. This study has revealed that it is possible to exhume animals for investigations of possible poisoning by carbamates and has demonstrated that the exhumation of an animal in a suspected case of poisoning should not be ruled out. The increasing demand for investigations of suspicious animal deaths, e.g., in cases of poisoning, will likely lead to an increase in the use of this type of procedure in veterinary pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: siqueira.adriana.vp@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Siqueira
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karina Borges Almeida
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vagner
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gonçalves-Júnior
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Atilio Sersun
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Calefi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: André Rinaldi
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvia Elena Campusano
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Helenice de Souza
authors.initials: Hde S
authors.lastname: Spinosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo César
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Maiorka
mesh_terms: D000448:Aldicarb / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D000818:Animals; D002235:Carbofuran / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D049249:Exhumation / Q000379:methods*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D008297:Male; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000662:veterinary*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D000448:Aldicarb; D002235:Carbofuran
keywords: Carbamate pesticides; Exhumation; Histothanatology; Necropsy; Post-mortem toxicology; Wistar rats