A SEX-RELATED DIFFERENCE IN THE NEUROBEHAVIORAL AND HEPATIC-EFFECTS FOLLOWING CHRONIC ENDOSULFAN TREATMENT IN RATS

The neurobehavioral and hepatic effects following chronic endosulfan a dministration were studied in adult male and female rats. The neurobeh avioral effect was determined by testing spontaneous motor activity, m otor coordination and learning and memory processes in rats of either sex, 30 days after treating the animal orally with endosulfan (3.0 and 6.0 mg/kg per day). Mortality occurring during the treatment and body weight gain at the termination of treatment were also recorded. Liver weight and liver and serum concentrations of glutamic oxaloacetic tra nsaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase and acetylcholinesterase were measured in order to determine the hepatotoxic effect of endosulfan. Body weight gain, motor coordination and acetylcholinesterase activity were unaltered in either sex, Learning and memory processes were impa ired in both groups indistinguishably. Liver weight and liver and seru m transaminases concentrations were increased more markedly in female than in male animals. A 30% mortality occurred in female group that re ceived 6 mg/kg of endosulfan. Endosulfan stimulated spontaneous motor activity more markedly in male than in female animals. These findings suggest that a sex-related difference seems to occur in the stimulatio n of spontaneous motor activity, liver injury and mortality that resul t from repeated exposure to sublethal doses of endosulfan in rats.