IMPACT OF QUINALPHOS ON BLOOD-GLUCOSE AND ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE (ACHE)ACTIVITY IN BRAIN AND PANCREAS IN A ROSERINGED PARAKEET (PSITTACULA-KRAMERI-BOREALIS, NEWMANN)

Quinalphos (O,O-diethyl O-2-quinoxalinyl phosphorothioate), an organop hosphate pesticide, was orally administered in graded sublethal doses (5 mu g-, 10 mu g- and 20 mu g/ 100 g body mass/day) for 10 consecutiv e days to study the effects on the levels of blood glucose, liver- and muscle-glycogen, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the brai n and pancreas of adult male Roseringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri borealis). Orally administered pesticide caused a dose response signif icant augmentation of blood glucose level with depletion of hepatic gl ycogen level, and a dose response inhibition of AChE in the brain and pancreas. However, myoglycogen concentration in treated birds was almo st identical to that in control parakeets. The available data suggest that increased blood glucose level and decreased hepatic glycogen conc entration in quinalphos-exposed parakeets may be related to the degree of pesticide induced inhibition of AChE activity in brain and/or panc reas of the concerned birds.