Farmers are often exposed to carbosulfan, the carbamate pesticide, at toxic doses due to rare use of special masks minimizing inhalation. The present investigation was designed to evalaute the effects of chronic carbosulfan inhalation on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant system. In this study, rats in the groups B and C received inhalational carbosulfan at doses of 1/20 and 1/10 LC50 respectively for 45 days, 30 min/day. GSH level and SOD enzyme activity were assayed according to the method of Beutler and the method of Mc Cord et al, respectively. GSH level was found to be significantly lower in the study groups than the control group in liver but not in erythrocytes. MDA level was significantly higher in the study groups than the control group in liver but not in erythrocytes. Although an evident increase were observed both in liver and erythrocytes, it wasn’t significant. Incerase in MDA level and SOD enzyme activity and decrease in GSH content which is an important radical scavenger, indicate that inhalational carbosulfan exposure repressed antioxidant system and enhanced free radical generation. Farmers handling this pesticide must be adequately and efficiently protected.
Keywords: Carbosulfan, GSH, MDA, antioxidant system