Abstract
Organophosphate (OP) and carbamate (CM) compounds are commonly used as pesticides in agriculture, industry and in homes, offices and gardens. These compounds are also used as parasiticides in veterinary medicine. In addition, some OPs are employed as chemical warfare agents (CWA), while others are used as flame retardants and plasticizers. Both OPs and CMs that are used as insecticides exert their toxicity mainly by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity primarily in the brain and skeletal muscles, leading to accumulation of acetylcholine (ACh) causing hypercholinergic signs due to overstimulation of muscarinic and nicotinic ACh receptors. In addition, noncholinergic mechanisms are involved in cell damage and death. Death of an animal ensues due to respiratory and cardiac failure. Acute poisoning cases are diagnosed based on (1) clinical signs, (2) inhibition of AChE activity in blood/brain, and (3) detection of OPs/CMs residues or their metabolites. Animals poisoned with CMs are treated with atropine sulfate and those poisoned with OPs are treated with atropine sulfate and 2-PAM. This chapter describes the toxicity and treatment of anticholinesterase OPs and CMs in animals.
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