Ac. Nostrandt et al., THE RELATIONSHIP OF ORAL CHLORPYRIFOS EFFECTS ON BEHAVIOR, CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITION, AND MUSCARINIC RECEPTOR DENSITY IN RAT, Pharmacology, biochemistry and behavior, 58(1), 1997, pp. 15-23
Behavioral changes and tissue cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition were exa
mined in animals treated with the commonly used insecticide chlorpyrif
os. Adult male rats were dosed by gavage with 0, 10, 30, 60, or 100 mg
/kg chlorpyrifos. Rats (n = 20/dose group) were evaluated using a func
tional observational battery (FOE) and an automated measure of motor a
ctivity. Ail rats were tested the day before dosing and at 3.5 h (the
time of peak effect) after dosing; half of these (n = 10/dose) were sa
crificed immediately after testing for tissue collection. The remainin
g rats were tested again at 24 h, followed by sacrifice. The following
tissues were collected from each animal: half brain, individual brain
areas from the other half of the brain (frontal cortex, hippocampus,
striatum, hypothalamus, cerebellum, pons/medulla), retina, liver, hear
t, diaphragm, quadriceps femoris muscle, and blood (separated into who
le blood, plasma, and erythrocytes). ChE activity was measured in all
tissues, and muscarinic receptor density was assessed as quinuclidinyl
benzilate (QNB) binding in all brain regions, heart, and retina. The
lowest dose produced no behavioral effects but did produce significant
ChE inhibition in most tissues at 3.5 h. Higher doses produced more C
hE inhibition and cholinergic signs of toxicity. Partial recovery from
behavioral effects was evident at 24 h, with little or no correspondi
ng recovery of ChE activity. Apparent downregulation of muscarinic rec
eptor density was noted only in striatum and pons/medulla of rats trea
ted with the highest dose of chlorpyrifos. Correlations for behavioral
and biochemical effects were generally poor because: a) the low-dose
effects on ChE inhibition were not reflected in behavioral signs, and
b) behavioral signs showed recovery at 24 h, whereas ChE activity did
not. Examination of data for individual rats indicated that >60% of br
ain ChE inhibition was reached before neurobehavioral effects were evi
dent. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.