EFFECT OF BENOMYL AND CARBENDAZIM ON STEROID AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMSIN UTERINE DECIDUAL GROWTH IN RATS

The present study examined the influence of two benzimidazole fungicid es benomyl and carbendazim (MCB), in dosages of 500 and 1000 mg kg(-1) for 5 days, on the capacity of decidual growth in pseudopregnant rats , The aim of the research was to determine whether the antimitotic act ivity of both chemicals was being mediated by way of hormonal and mole cular mechanisms at the uterine level, The results show that both fung icides produced reductions in uterine decidual weight (P < 0.01) and u terine protein content (P < 0.05), However, levels of serum estradiol and progesterone and the binding capacities of cytosol estrogen and pr ogesterone receptors remained essentially unchanged, Subsequently, the antigrowth-antimitotic activity of benomyl and MCB, at 500 and 1000 m g kg(-1) dosages, on the decidual uterus is direct, and apparently doe s not involve steroidal or receptor mechanisms.