EFFECTS OF A PYRETHROID TYPE-II PESTICIDE ON CONDITIONED BEHAVIORS OFRATS

Our present work investigated the effect of fenvalerate, a pyrethroid type II, pesticide, on conditioned behaviors of rats. Pre-training adm inistration of the pesticide did not modify passive avoidance but decr eased active avoidance responses and operant conditioned responses; pr e-training or pre-test administration of fenvalerate induced a facilit atory effect on passive avoidance task; pre-training and/or pre-test t reatments reduced active avoidance responses of rats which received th e pesticide before test; and post-training treatments were not capable of modifying both active and passive avoidance responses. Increased e motionality produced by the action of fenvalerate on the sympatho-adre nal system could be responsible for the differences observed between a ctive and passive avoidance responses.