Some Acute and Chronic Effects of Endrin on the Brain

摘要

The data presented in the paper suggest that aerial applicator personnel exposed to endrin may be subject to two hitherto underfined toxic risks: (1) sensory disturbances which may appear after acute exposure at doses too low to produce tremors and other gross signs of posioning; (2) under some circumstances, endrin stored in body fat may be released in amounts sufficient to cause poisoning. The effects of endrin on the brain were determined in anesthetized pigeons and in non-anesthetized squirrel monkeys with chronically implanted electrodes. In the pigeon, endrin (0.5 mg/kg) selectively affected neuronal excitability in a visual projection pathway homologous to the recently described Nucleus Lateralis Posterior Thalami--Inferior Temporal Gyrus visual system in the higher mammals. Endrin was administered chronically to the squirrel monkeys. Electroencephalographic changes occurred at dose levels which were approximately 25% those which induced tremors, seizures and the other signs generally considered pathognomonic for endrin poisoning. Three months after endrin administration was stopped, seizures could be induced in the poisoned monkeys in a 'stress' situation. (Author)