Neurotoxic Action of Six Pyrethroid Insecticides on the Isolated Sciatic Nerve of a Frog ( Rana ridibunda)

Abstract

The neurotoxic action of six pyrethroid insecticides, four type II, (flucythrinate, deltamethrin, fenvalerate, fluvalinate) and two type I ( cis- and trans-permethrin) was compared on the isolated sciatic nerve of frog. The nerve was exposed to pyrethroids for 30 min and action potentials were recorded for more than 45 hr after exposure. From the plots of the amplitude of the compound action potential vs time, it was possible to estimate, for each compound, the minimum effective concentration, the concentration which is required to reduce the amplitude of the compound action potential to 50% of its control value (mEC 50). Flucythrinate was the most toxic compound, while toxicity decreased in the value: deltamethrin > fenvalerate > fluvalinate >> cis-permethrin > trans-permethrin. Low neurotoxicity of cis-permethrin and trans-permethrin (type I pyrethroids) was expected. The neurotoxicity of type I pyrethroids is mainly due to an action at the synapse, which are not present in the frog sciatic nerve preparation. The relative potencies of the four type II compounds agree with their acute toxicity estimated using the LD 50.